Balkan Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties: Press Release
This meeting held during the celebration of KKE-KNE Festival in Thessaloniki, that is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of KKE, was an occasion for the strengthening of the fraternal relations between the communist and workers’ parties in the Balkans.
During the meeting the participants exchanged views on the situation developed in the wider region, especially after the recent bloodshed in Caucasus, the clash of the imperialist interests of the US-EU-Russia over the control of energy supplies and their transportation, and the achievement of greater shares on behalf of the monopolies.
It was highlighted that the further expansion of the imperialist organisation of NATO to new countries in the Balkans and the former USSR, the emergence of new military bases and foreign military troops in the Balkan region, the creation of protectorates, with the active involvement of NATO and the EU, as well as the attempt of the imperialists to stir up existing or non-existing minority issues, constitute factors of destabilization in the Balkans, they put in danger the peace in the broader region and open the way for further sharpening of the competition between the imperialist powers.
The USA, the EU and the NATO are also responsible as they are the imperialist forces that promoted the dissolution of the united Yugoslavia, created the precedent of the protectorate state of Kosovo by further violating the international law, and work out new reactionary plans in order to promote their interests at the expense of the people.
During the Meeting of Balkan Communist and Workers Parties the participants refered to the experience that derives from their parties’ struggles against imperialism, for the defence of workers and people’s rights and gains, as well as the immigrants’ rights.
The participants noted that 20 years after the victory of the counterrevolution, capitalism has brought about enormous exploitation, unemployment, poverty, class barriers to the access to education, immigration wave, unprecedented anti-communism, chauvinism and environmental disaster in the region.
However, despite the concerted attack of US and EU in the region, great struggles are underway. The participants saluted the recent workers’ struggles against the new measures concerning Social Security in Greece and Turkey, the mobilizations of teachers, nurses, the workers in DACIA and in steelworks in Romania and Bulgaria, as well as the strike mobilization in Croatia, and many other struggles developed by workers and students in the Balkan countries.
The rejection of the new European Treaty by the Irish people, the struggles against the new US missiles as well as the general struggles in Europe and throughout the world have a strong impact on our region.
Several delegates stressed the need for the decisive development and the enhancement of the coordination of the communist and labor movement in the region.
The development of a multiform anti-imperialist movement and the strengthening of the class-oriented forces within the labor movement are also issues of great importance.
The participants will support the initiatives against nationalism, against the hatred and the division of the people, against the creation of the new-protectorate states, against the capitalist exploitation and the subjection of our countries to the imperialist organizations, the NATO and the EU. They will promote the struggle for the common class interests of the Balkan workers, the disengagement from the imperialist organizations and their plans, the revitalization of the socialist and communist ideals in Balkans.
The deterioration of the workers’ life in Balkans, the strengthening of the imperialist organizations, the suppression measures against communists and the anti-imperialist movement throughout Europe increase the need to improve, organize more effectively and coordinate our action in the anti-imperialist, anti-NATO, mass labor movement.
During the meeting the participants expressed their will to strengthen and multiply the common initiatives and the anti-imperialist actions of the Communist Parties, that is:
- to contribute more effectively to the strengthening and the development of the peaceful anti-imperialist movement in Balkans as well as to the improvement and reactivation of the Balkan anti-NATO centre.
- to develop and multiply the initiatives for solidarity with the labor and anti-imperialist struggles in the Balkan countries.
- to further strengthen our struggle against the imperialist military presence in Balkans, against the foreign military bases and troops, against the so-called Balkan brigade and the participation of Balkan military forces in military missions of NATO and EU against other countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries in Persian Gulf.
- to bring back all the Balkan troops being outside of each country’s borders.
- not to comply with to the obligations deriving from the participation in NATO and the EU and engaging our country directly or indirectly.
- against the engagement of our countries in the new imperialist wars in Caucasus and the threats against the peoples of Iran, Syria and other peoples as well
- to express our solidarity with the peoples of Cuba and strengthen our struggles for the release of the five Cuban patriots who are imprisoned in the USA.
The Communist and Workers’ Parties confirmed that they will collaborate on bilateral and multilateral basis in order to achieve an efficient coordination and action regarding the above mentioned goals. They have also expressed their intention to work so that this coordination of parties attains consistent features in the long-run
Parties that Participated COMMUNIST PARTY OF BULGARIA
PARTY OF BULGARIAN COMMUNISTS
COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREECE
SOCIALIST WORKERS' PARTY OF CROATIA
COMMUNIST PARTY OF MACEDONIA (FYROM)
NEW COMMUNIST PARTY OF YUGOSLAVIA
COMMUNIST PARTY OF TURKEY
PARTY OF LABOUR (TURKEY)
The Communist Party of Romania was not able to take part in the meeting and sent a greeting message. Also, the Communist Party of Albania was did not manage to arrive on time, due to the strike of the customs workers.
e-mail:cpg@int.kke.gr