dertaken by the individual member states on the basis of a majority
vote. Romanian leaders reacted firmly and resolutely to this suggestion
by publishing a statement of the party Central Committee that definitely
rejected the policy of supranational economic integration and the
utilization of majority decisions as a means of forcing economic
cooperation. The committee's resolution further pointed out that
economic collaboration should be based on respect for national
independence, sovereignty, and the equality inherent in the rights of
nations.

Pressure was exerted to bring the Romanian leadership into line. To
counter this, the Romanians took steps to demonstrate their
determination to hold to their independent views. A program of
desovietization was begun throughout the country, during which Soviet
bookshops were closed, the compulsory study of the Russian language in
schools was ended, and those street names that had been changed to honor
Soviet persons or events reverted to their original Romanian
designations. Also, in the field of foreign policy Romania adopted an
attitude of nonalignment in the Sino-Soviet dispute, resumed relations
with Albania (which had been severed after that country left the Soviet
bloc in 1961), and conducted negotiations for increased trade with the
People's Republic of China as well as with several Western nations.

By the end of 1963 it was apparent that Soviet plans for revising
COMECON could not be implemented and, with Romania retaining its
membership, it remained an organization of national economies
cooperating with one another along both bilateral and multilateral
lines. The Soviets, however, retained leadership of the organization and
continued to be a major benefactor from its operation.

The surfacing of the policy conflict with Moscow and the subsequent
activities of the Romanians in defiance of general Soviet interests and
leadership were followed in April 1964 by a formal statement published
by the party Central Committee that proclaimed Romania's inalienable
right to national autonomy and full equality in the communist world.
This so-called declaration of independence made it abundantly clear that
the national and independent character of Romanian policy had been
extended to all fields and would be applied in both domestic and foreign
relations.

The policy of greater national autonomy and political independence from
the Soviet Union was continued by Nicolae Ceausescu,