Working Group Meeting, Press Statement
International Meeting of the Communist and Workers’ Parties
Hosted by the PCP, a meeting of the Working Group to prepare the next International Meeting of the Communist and Workers’ Parties was held in Lisbon on February 16th.
In keeping with previous practice, the meeting was open to the all the parties that take part in the International Meetings. The following parties participated:
- Workers Party of Belgium
- Communist Party of Brazil
- Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
- Communist Party of Cuba
- Communist Party of Greece
- Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- Workers Party Ireland
- Party of the Italian Communists
- Lebanese Communist Party
- People’s Party of Panama
- Portuguese Communist Party
- Communist Party of the Russian Federation
- South African Communist Party
- Communist Party of Spain
- Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain
- Syrian Communist Party
- Communist Party of Ukraine
The meeting took place in an environment of frank comradeship. It valued in a very positive way the proposals and contributions for the topic of the 2008 Meeting, which had been previously submitted by numerous parties to the Communist Party of Brazil, the Party that will be hosting that Meeting.
It was decided that the 10th Meeting will be held on November 21, 22 and 23 of 2008, in the city of Sao Paulo, under the topic: “New phenomena in the international framework. Worsening national, social, environmental and interimperialist contradictions and problems. The struggle for peace, democracy, sovereignty, progress and socialism and unity of action of Communist and Workers’ Parties”
The Parties attending the meeting took the occasion for a wide-ranging exchange of points of view on the international situation, the situation in their countries and the main tasks that they face. Particular attention was given to the present profound economic crisis of capitalism, which highlights its systemic nature and the growing instability that it brings with it, with the tendency to worsen the exploitation of the workers, and increasingly militarist trait in imperialism’s offensive, as well as an intense ideological campaign and a general attack on fundamental rights and freedoms.
In relation to the announced and imminent unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, the participants expressed their condemnation of a decision which is an integral part of the process of dismantling Yugoslavia in violation of International Law. Being concretized, this decision will represent a serious precedent and will be an undeniable factor of instability which will worsen tensions in the Balkans and in Europe. This stance was reflected, in a concrete way, in a Common Statement, which the Parties in attendance approved and propose to other parties, requesting their support.
In dealing with the serious situation in the Middle East, and in particular in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, the Parties expressed their solidarity with the peoples and progressive forces of the region which courageously resist and fight against imperialism and war.
Analysing the situation in the African continent, the participants expressed their solidarity with the struggle of the progressive forces and peoples of Africa - namely the peoples of Chad and of Kenya - for peace, sovereignty and development. Peoples that are faced with imperialist destabilisation processes. The participants also condemned the installation of the United States of America’s military command for the African continent.
At the same time, the Parties present in the Meeting of the Working Group for the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties expressed their solidarity with the people of socialist Cuba and with other peoples of Latin America, in struggle for their sovereignty and social progress, as well as with the peoples and forces which throughout the world persist in their struggles for democracy, social justice, peace and socialism.
The participant parties expressed their appreciation to the Portuguese Communist Party for the conditions created in Lisbon for meeting of the Working Group.
Lisbon, 16th February 2006
e-mail:cpg@int.kke.gr