Integration Measures: A Component Part of National Economic and Branch Plans

The Council of Mutual Economic Aid is observing its twenty-fifth anniversary. During this historically relatively brief period it has grown and strengthened as the organization of collective cooperation of socialist countries. Drawing on the advantages of the socialist system and on collaboration and mutual aid, the countries in the community have achieved high rates of economic growth and have taken the lead in a number of directions of scientific and technical progress. Based on the socialist system of economy of each of the countries, the socialist principles of economic cooperation actively promote the attainment of a high rate of development by the national economies. Thus during this period the national income of COMECON countries rose more than 6 times, while the volume of industrial production increased 9.5 times. The successes that have been scored and the entire practical activity of the Council of Mutual Economic Aid are evidence of the high effectiveness of the joint actions of socialist countries and of their ability to find jointly the most expedient solutions to different problems, thereby strengthening the entire socialist community.