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Theory and Practice of Regional Integration: The Case of Comecon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2009

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Extract

It is generally recognized that the last decade or so witnessed a proliferation of studies dealing with different aspects of regional integration. While most of them discussed the origin and history of various international organizations, some, especially those of a more recent vintage, ventured into the thicket of theory building in an effort to engage eventually in some kind of comparative analysis.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The IO Foundation 1970

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Footnotes

1

Associate professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles.

References

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4 For a good example see Brown, Alan A. and Neuberger, Egan (ed.), International Trade and Central Planning: An Analysis of Economic Interactions (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968)Google Scholar.

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6 A recent example is Grossman, Gregory (ed.), Money and Plan: Financial Aspects of East European Economic Reforms (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968)Google Scholar.

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18 The section that follows is a revised version of a paper, “Recent Developments in the Comecon,” presented at a meeting of the University of California Project on Comparative Study of Communist Societies, Berkeley, April 21, 1966.

19 For a list of these commissions see Kaser, pp. 257–261.

20 Neuberger, E., “International Division of Labor in CEMA: Limited Regret Strategy,” American Economic Review, 05 1964 (Vol. 54, No. 3), p. 515Google Scholar.

21 Full text in Pravia, June 17, 1962.

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28 Personal interviews in Prague during the spring of 1967.

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30 Ibid; Keh, Z., “Kierunki prac,” Zycie gospodarcze, 1966 (Vol. 9, No. 17), p. 1Google Scholar.

31 Prague, Radio, 03 29, 1966; Figyelo (Budapest), 05 11, 1966 (Radio Free Europe Hungarian Press Survey, No. 1714)Google Scholar.

32 Personal interviews in Prague and Warsaw during the spring and summer of 1967.

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34 Ausch, S., “Mezinarodni delba prace a ekonomicky mechanismus,” Vlanovane hospodarstvi (Prague), 12 1965 (No. 12), p. 66Google Scholar.

35 Personal interviews in Prague during the spring of 1967.

36 For a good discussion see Economic Survey of Europe 1967 (New York: United Nations, 1968), chapter 2, pp. 7179Google Scholar.

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38 Csikos-Nagy, B., “Currency and Price Problems in Socialist Economic Integration,” Gospodarka planowa, 08 1969 (Vol. 24, No. 8)Google Scholar.

39 For an excellent treatment of foreign trade pricing see United Nations, Economic Bulletin for Europe, 1964 (Vol. 16, No. 2), pp. 4244Google Scholar.

40 Ausch, , Planovane hospodarstvi, No. 12, p. 66Google Scholar. See also Marer, P., ASTE Bulletin, Fall 1968 (Vol. 10, No. 2), p. 8Google Scholar.

41 Cf. Bogomolov, O., “Khoziaistvovny reformy i ekonomicheskoe sotrudnichestvo sotsialisticheskikh stran,” Voprosy ekpnomify (Moscow), 1966 (No. 2), pp. 7686Google Scholar, and “Aktualne problemy ekonomicheskogo sotrudnichestva sotsialisticheskikh stran,” Mirovaia ckonomika i mezhdimarodnye otnoshenia (Moscow), 1966 (No. 5), pp. 1526Google Scholar; and Ladygin, V. and Shirayev, Y., “Voprosy sovershenstvovania ekonomicheskogo sotrudnichestva stran SEV,” Voprosy ekpnomikj, 1966 (No. 5), pp. 8189Google Scholar.

42 New York Times, January 7, 1968; Shonfield, A., “Changing Commercial Policies in the Soviet Bloc,” International Affairs (London), 01 1968 (Vol. 44, No. 1), p. 11Google Scholar.

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44 Personal interviews in Prague during the spring of 1967.

45 Babitchev, E., “The International Bank for Economic Cooperation,” in Grossman, pp. 148152Google Scholar. Since the completion of this article there were further developments in the Comecon banking field. Following a series of discussions regarding the ways and means of strengthening the organization, culminating in a Comecon “summit” meeting in April 1969, a Comecon investment bank was formally established in July 1970. Its basic purpose is to finance investment projects in the various member countries which would benefit the organization as a whole. The bank is to start operating in 1971. Schaefer, Henry, “What Role for Comecon?” Radio Free Europe Research Reports in Economics, 04 1970 (No. 1)Google Scholar, and “Recent Developments Involving the Comecon Investment Bank,” ibid., July 30, 1970 (No. 5); Harry Trend, “The Comecon Investment Bank,” ibid., June 15, 1970 (No. 2); Heiss, Hertha W., “The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance—Developments since the Mid-1960's,” in United States Congress, Joint Economic Committee, Economic Developments in Countries of Eastern Europe (Washington: Govenment Printing Office, 1970), pp. 528542Google Scholar.

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51 See p. 963 above.

52 Brzezinski, pp. 433–455.

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54 See p. 960 above.

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63 For details see Economic Survey of Europe 1966, chapter 3, sections 2 and 4.

64 Cf. Holzman, F., “More on Soviet Bloc Trade Discrimination,” Soviet Studies, 07 1965 (Vol. 17, No. 1)CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Wiles, pp. 222–248; Marer, , ASTE Bulletin1, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 67Google Scholar; and Kaser, pp. 182–185.

65 See p. 960 above.

66 Gehlen, Michael, “The Integrative Process in East Europe: A Theoretical Framework,” The Journal of Politics, 02 1968 (Vol. 30, No. 1), pp. 90113CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

67 Ibid., p. 112.

69 D. Finley, “Integration among the Communist Party-States: Comparative Case Studies,” and Mitchell, R., “A Theoretical Approach to the Study of Communist International Organizations,” in Triska, J. (ed.), Communist Party States: Comparative and International Studies (Indianapolis, Ind: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1969), pp. 57105Google Scholar.

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78 Rosenau, p. 59.