Comrades,

It is with great pleasure that we are hosting in our Congress 62 delegations from communist parties and other progressive and revolutionary forces, of national liberation movements, of parties with whom we have deep historical ties, who bring us the resistance, struggle and achievements of their peoples.
We would like to thank all of you for your solidary presence, wishing the best successes in your work for the materialization of the rights and aspirations of your peoples, and to take with you from the XX Congress of the PCP the pulse of the struggle of the Communists, the workers and the Portuguese people, the certainty of the firm and fraternal solidarity of the Portuguese communists.

The sharpening of the class struggle resulting from the deepening of the structural crisis of capitalism and the violent onslaught of imperialism further highlights the need to strengthen, unite and increase the capacity for action of the international communist and revolutionary movement - the most advanced expression of proletarian internationalism.

This is an objective which, in the opinion of the PCP, involves strengthening the link between the masses and the national reality, the ability to define the programme and tasks of every communist party or other revolutionary force, as well as their internationalist cooperation and solidarity.

Observing consecrated principles of the relationship between communist parties, the PCP is engaged in the debate and unity in action among communist parties, as is the case of the process of the International Meetings of Communist and Workers Parties (IMCWP), which has contributed to a better mutual understanding and the adoption of a set of guidelines for common or convergent action.

However, as history shows, both the development of liquidationist and social-democratizing tendencies, and dogmatic and sectarian conceptions and practices, are detrimental to the communist movement, which not only do not contribute to the strengthening of the communist movement and to the unity in action of the communists, but bring new factors of division, distancing and misunderstandings that hamper the necessary advances in their internationalist solidarity and with other progressive forces.

Bearing in mind that the communist parties and other revolutionary forces have differentiated trajectories, experiences and social rooting, struggle in different conditions, are in different stages of the struggle for socialism and face different immediate tasks, to the PCP, natural differences of opinion and even, divergences that sometimes appear should not prevent common or convergent action in the struggle against the main enemy, in the struggle for the emancipation of the workers and peoples.

Teachings all the more important and topical, when the present international situation places such great and complex demands on communist parties and other revolutionary forces.

The workers and peoples need a strong and vigorous international communist and revolutionary movement, strong communist and revolutionary parties that promote the struggle for the achievement of rights, the advance of social transformation and the revolutionary overcoming of capitalism.

The strengthening of the convergence and cooperation of the communists with other patriotic, progressive and revolutionary forces - on a broad and united anti-imperialist front - is the way to stop imperialism’s offensive and achieve a turning point in the international situation towards peace, sovereignty and social progress. Naturally, the communists have a great responsibility in the materialization of this goal.

The PCP does not place the international communist and revolutionary movement in opposition to other patriotic and progressive forces, putting at the forefront of convergence and cooperation the upholding of principles and objectives that are a prerequisite for the advancement of the struggle for social and national emancipation.

To the PCP, unity in action around concrete and immediate goals with other forces that converge in resistance to the imposition of the hegemonic project of imperialism, does not represent any yielding or abdication of the revolutionary ideal and project of the communists.

The approaching of wills and joint efforts of the communists - with the affirmation of their own objectives and without dilution of their identity - with other forces that objectively help to contain imperialism’s offensive, will contribute to the creation of the conditions that carry further the struggle of the workers and peoples to uphold their rights and sovereignty, and the struggle for progressive and revolutionary transformations.

It would be grave if we were to accept and agree with the theorizations and campaigns that seek to confuse the aggressor with the aggressed. To equate the aggressive action of the United States, NATO, of the great powers of the European Union and its allies, with the position of other countries that - affirming and defending their sovereignty, independence and right to development – position themselves, act and articulate at the international level respecting the United Nations Charter and support the peoples and States that have been victims of imperialist blockade, destabilization and aggression, to accept such an equating would mean underestimating and even whitewashing the objectives and serious dangers of imperialism's current onslaught, as well as dividing and annulling in practice part of the field of forces that can oppose it.

Have no illusions those who want the PCP to give up its solidarity with the struggle of the workers and peoples.

Throughout the world, even under the most difficult conditions, the workers and peoples resist and fight for their rights, for liberation from oppression, including national oppression, for the conquest of freedom, democracy, national sovereignty and independence, for justice and social progress, for democratic, anti-monopolistic and anti-imperialist transformations, for socialism - resistances and struggles that, in the struggle against imperialism, interconnect in the same ideal and universal liberating process.

A patriotic and internationalist party, rooted in the workers and Portuguese people, linked to the respective national reality, with its ideology and class independence, with its autonomy and own experience, the PCP will remain firm in the fulfilment of its internationalist duties.

The tasks which we face are great and demanding, but the cause for which we fight is exhilarating because, the cause of the emancipation of workers and peoples.

Long live proletarian internationalism!
Long live anti-imperialist solidarity!
Long live the Portuguese Communist Party!