ABSTRACT
Most Soviet experts agree that until the time of perestroika the Soviet Union did not have any comprehensive, efficient foreign economic strategy. International economic ties were used mostly to make up for the lack of certain capital and consumer goods inside the country by importing them; exports were used as a way to pay for imports. International economic cooperation was not seriously considered as an effective way to intensify economic and technological development. Exports of manufactures and services are to become powerful factors in the economic and technological progress of the country just as they are in every developed nation and in the "newly industrialized countries." The Soviet Union has officially expressed its intention to participate actively in a number of major international organizations such as General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank. The process of perestroika in Soviet international economic relations is experiencing serious difficulties.
