Troubles of Socialist Economic Integration: Czechoslovakia and Joint Projects within the CMEA in 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

The paper summarizes the topic of Czechoslovak participation on international projects within the CMEA. International projects within the CMEA should be considered as specific areas where widely declared socialist economic integration was to certain extent successful, not only in the context of the times. These projects symbolized one of few fields in which particular economic integration of the CMEA countries was based on really multilateral level (not only in the way of bilateral cooperation). Cooperation in case of these projects was realised on multilateral base (considering not only investments, but also the exchange of labor forces from participating countries). From the point of view of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the most important projects in the given period is the participation on the construction of gas pipelines Soyuz (Orenburg), Progress (Jamburg) and integrated mining and metallurgy plant in Dolinskaya near Krivoy Rog. The CMEA was proud of these projects as they represented notable outcomes of its functioning. Such positive image was also widely publicized in media and the participants on the projects gained great experience. Besides publicity function, some projects were important because of their economic function, also after the disintegration of the CMEA. On the other hand, some were not successful. Czech participation on the construction of mining complex in Dolinskaya symbolizes the end to an attempt at socialist economic integration.