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Soviet Union [USSR] The Council of Ministers and Its Presidium
The Presidium of the Council of Ministers also had foreign
policy duties in its role as head of the executive branch of the
government. The 1977 Constitution specified that the Council of
Ministers be elected at a joint session of the Supreme Soviet and
be constitutionally accountable to the Supreme Soviet
(see Soviet Union USSR - Administrative Organs
, ch. 8). The foreign policy duties of the
Council of Ministers were not specified in the 1977 Constitution,
beyond a general statement that the council was to "provide general
direction in regard to relations with other states, foreign trade,
and economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation of
the Soviet Union with other countries; take measures to ensure
fulfillment of the Soviet Union's international treaties; and
ratify and repudiate international agreements." These duties were
carried out by the various ministries and state committees involved
in the execution of foreign policy. The chairman of the Presidium
of the Council of Ministers, as head of government, met with
foreign delegations and signed international trade and economic
agreements.
In 1989 three ministries and a committee had foreign policy
responsibilities: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (diplomatic
relations), the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations (trade and
arms transfers), the Ministry of Defense (military advisory
assistance, use and display of military power abroad, and covert
activities through the
Main Intelligence Directorate--see Glossary), and the KGB
(covert activities through the First Chief
Directorate). Many other ministries and state committees and
government agencies also had a role in foreign policy execution.
These ranged from the Soviet Copyright Agency, which approved
foreign requests for reproduction and translation of Soviet media
materials, to the State Committee for Foreign Tourism, of which
Inturist was a part.
Data as of May 1989
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