Soviet statesman Leonid Brezhnev kissing East German state secretary Erich Honecker (1979)

The socialist fraternal kiss was a special form of greeting between socialist state officials. The act demonstrated the special relationship that exists between communist countries, consisting of an embrace, along with a series of three kisses on alternate cheeks.

In rare cases, when the two statesmen considered themselves on exceptionally good terms, the kisses were given on the mouth rather than on the cheeks.