Dear Comrades,

We would like to thank the Communist Party of Greece and the Communist Party of Turkey for hosting this Extraordinary Teleconference of the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties, and to fraternally greet all the Parties that are participating and whose contributions enrich this event.

Comrades,

The evolution of the world situation is marked by a serious and dangerous turn for the worse, as a result of the intensification of imperialism’s exploitative and aggressive offensive. At the same time, it reveals that all over the world – in the most diverse conditions and taking on various forms and with different goals – the resistance and the struggle of the workers and peoples continues.

Within the framework of the growing contradictions of capitalism, big capital is instrumentalizing the pandemic situation to intensify the workers’ exploitation, to impose social regression, to attack freedoms and democracy, to inspire a reactionary and anti-communist ideological offensive, to foment monopoly concentration and to impose its economic and political domination. It seeks to make the workers and the peoples pay the cost of a crisis that was already on the horizon and which the pandemic has speeded up, brutally worsening social inequalities and the unequal development of countries.

The contradictions between the USA, the big powers of the European Union and Japan, within the framework of the deepening of the structural crisis of capitalism, are accompanied by their class cooperation against the workers and the peoples, within the duality of inter-imperialist coordination and rivalry.

Seeking to manage and mitigate the contradictions with other imperialist great powers, the US Administration, presided over by Biden, confirms that the USA’s goal is to try, by all means available, to counter its relative decline and to align its allies – first and foremost NATO and the European Union – with its strategy of world-wide hegemonic domination.

From the Middle East to Latin America, from Africa to Europe and Asia, US imperialism, with the support of its allies, proceeds and intensifies its aggression against countries and peoples who do not submit to their diktats and who assert their sovereignty, stepping up its policy of confrontation against China and Russia, which it defines as strategic adversaries.

With this purpose, the USA foments an arms race and steps up military alliances and partnerships, besides NATO, such as AUKUS or QUAD, through which it seeks to provoke the confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region.

The European Union, within which there are growing contradictions, is taking new steps towards its militarization as NATO’s European pillar, at the same time as it promotes its neo-liberal and federalist policy, which is determined by the interests of the great powers and the monopolies.

In order to sustain its aggressive policies, which affront the principles of the United Nations’ Charter and international law, US imperialism promotes a hypocritical and phoney “democracy summit”, when in reality it is responsible for a policy of systematic disrespect for sovereignty and democracy, supporting authoritarian and fascistic regimes, sponsoring coups d’Etat, imposing sanctions and blockades, militarily assaulting countries and peoples, and being responsible for the iniquitous denial of fundamental rights for millions of human beings.

Comrades,

If the international situation reflects the consequences of imperialism’s intensified offensive, it is also marked by significant expressions of resistance and struggle, which show that imperialism does not have its hands free to impose its purposes.

Enormously important are the development of internationalist solidarity and the struggle for peace, against imperialism’s aggressions and interference, against NATO and for its dissolution, for an end to sanctions and blockades, for respect for peoples’ rights and sovereignty, for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

The PCP expresses its solidarity with Syria and its people, with the Palestinian people, with the Yemeni people, with Socialist Cuba, with Bolivarian Venezuela, with Sandinist Nicaragua, with the Sahrawi people, with the Cypriot people, with the countries and peoples that confront imperialist aggression, occupation, interference, blockades.

The PCP expresses its solidarity with the people’s struggles in India, in Colombia, in Sudan, in Brazil, with the popular struggles that have scored important victories in different countries, with the struggles in defence of freedom, sovereignty, democracy, labour and social rights, for progressive and revolutionary transformations, for socialism.

The PCP considers that it is of the utmost importance, and is committed, to strengthen the international communist and revolutionary movement and its cooperation, mutual solidarity and unity in action, as well as the convergence and edification of a broad anti-imperialist front which could stop and roll back imperialism’s offensive and pave the way for the edification of a new international order of peace, sovereignty and social progress.

Considering that great dangers of social and civilizational regression coexist with a real potential for progressive and revolutionary advances and that on a world level the times are still times of resistance and the accumulation of forces, the Communists and other revolutionaries must be prepared for quick and unforeseen developments.

Comrades,

Capitalism, its deepening structural crisis and its exploitative, oppressive, aggressive and predatory nature, the threats and dangers which it entails, its growing contradictions, its incapacity to provide answers for Humankind’s problems and aspirations, entail, with redoubled relevance, the timeliness and need for anti-monopolist and anti-imperialist transformations, for the development of revolutionary processes that indicate socialism as their goal, regardless of the phases and stages and of the forms that they will take on, taking into account the concrete situation in each country.

The revolutionary overcoming of capitalism and the construction of a new society, freed from exploitation, are a demand for today and for tomorrow.

Profoundly linked to the Portuguese workers and people, the PCP proceeds with confidence its struggle for a break with the right-wing policies, for a patriotic and left-wing alternative, for an advanced democracy with the values of the April [1974] Revolution, for Socialism.

Comrades,

Valuing the convening of this Extraordinary Teleconference and committed to continue contributing to the process of the International Meetings of Communist and Workers’ Parties, the PCP would like to share with you that we have informed of our readiness to host, in Portugal, during the first quarter of 2022, a face-to-face meeting of the IMCWP Working Group, on a date that is to be decided later, and taking into consideration the developments surrounding the pandemic.

Long live proletarian internationalism!
Long live international solidarity!