This collection of studies investigates the political economy of international relations between the Soviet bloc and West European countries, both individually and cohering as the European Economic Community / European Communities. It spans the entire post-Stalin era, focusing on the 1970s and 1980s. The works examine international trade patterns in East-West relations; Soviet views of West European integration and their influence on practice, also for the bloc as a whole; and reciprocal effects on Soviet domestic politics and foreign policy more under Gorbachev and in historical perspective.
Extensive references make this volume a handbook which is of interest not only to researchers, but also to university students and the general public.