| Declaration of the II. Conference |
December 1-2, 2008 |
On December 1-2, 2007, the Second Conference of Communist and Workers’ Parties of the Balkans was hold in Sofia. The following parties and organisations from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey/Northern Kurdistan and Serbia participated in the Conference: The conference took place with comradely and fruitful discussions. We, the participating parties and organisations discussed the problems we are confronted with in the Balkans, the ways how to solve them and made decision on how to develop the struggle in the next period. We agreed on the topic that it is necessary and important to develop a closer collaboration and solidarity among the communist, revolutionary, progressive and anti-imperialist forces of the Balkan countries as well as the regional anti-imperialist struggle. The neo-liberal policies that imperialism and the local ruling classes have imposed on the Balkans through EU directives and institutions such as the IMF and WB makes the working class and labourers even poorer. Working relations are getting more and more flexible, privatizations are expanding, unemployment and poverty continue to increase and the fascist and ultra reactionary movement increased in for example in Serbia, Greece and Turkey. In Turkey, the state launches a chauvinist and racist attack against the Kurdish people and a total attack against the left forces. Turkey not only carries out military operation in Northern Kurdistan, but also prepares for new operations in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq). After the collapse of the SU and the Eastern Block in 1989/1990, the Balkans became a new market, on which all the imperialist forces tried to establish their hegemony. It became an important transport way in order to bring the oil and natural gas from the Caucasus/Caspian Sea to Europe and the world markets. The majority of the Balkan countries became members of the EU and at the same time of NATO and so, the competition between the EU, Russia and the USA in the Balkans on these countries is going on. The USA has shifted an important part of its military power deployed in West Europe to the Balkans during the last years. Especially its military agreements made with Romania and Bulgaria are not limited to providing only military bases for the USA but also to meet their needs for soldiers. In former parts of Yugoslavia, like Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia, military troops have been placed and even if their number is not very high, they do have a strong strike power and flexibility. Apart from its bases in Greece and Turkey, the USA has strengthened its military existence in the region with new bases in Romania and Bulgaria. These developments show the strategic importance given by the USA to the Balkans and the plan of the USA not to leave the Balkans anymore and at the same time the danger of new Balkan wars. While the imperialist forces compete with each other on the region, they use at the same time every method to silence the workers and labourers, who oppose and fight against them. The imperialist forces, that strengthen their hegemony in the region through means such as the unions of the EU and NATO, have drawn the working class and labourers of the Balkans into more and more poverty and misery imposing the neo-liberal policy via institutions such as the IMF and WB. The privatisation continues, social and democrat rights achieved by struggles are eliminated and especially the new EU-member countries social destruction is very intensive. Another consequence of these politics is the continous increase of pollution of the envirement and devastation of nature and this has reached a level seriously endangering humanity. While on the one hand the international monopolies increase their profits with new market regions given to them, unemployment is rising on the other hand and the labourers` spending power decreases. The bourgeoisie’s attack on the working class and labourers to deprive them of being organised continues in many dimensions. By making their own experiences, the working class and the labourer masses of the Balkans understand every day more and more that the EU, presented to them as a big hope, is the union of the monopoly capital of Europe and does not led to anything else than exploitation and plundering. By means of so-called anti-terror laws democratic rights and freedoms are abolished, with new police laws unlimited authority is given to the police and thus they are preaparing the ground for new attacks and massacres. Together with the local collaborating regimes the imperialist forces in the Balkans continue to stir up nationalism, chauvinism, and racism between the peoples and to make the peoples enemies. The imperialist policy of "divide and rule" is applied in the countries where national minorities live. In recognition of the complexities this imperialist intervention creates in the region but also the need to address the needs of national minorities we have come to the conclusion that question of national, ethnic and religious minorities will be best addressed by the revolutionary communist forces in the Balkans. We have agreed that it is our urgent task to expose the imperialist plans in the region and to defend the right of self determination and complete equality of all nations, ethnic and religious minorities. Solution of national question in a just for peoples way from Bosnia to Kosova, from Macedonia to Kurdistan is hindered by imperialism and reactionary forces. Proletarian internationalism, friendship and solidarity among people against imperialism is the only way to solve the national issues. Such as in other parts of the world, also in the Balkans there are the peoples` will and resistances, social and political movements of different levels against imperialist exploitation and aggression. Our conference greets and supports the strikes and resistances carried out by the working class, the labourers and the youth of the Balkan countries against the imperialist aggresion and the neoliberal policies. Some of the recent examples are the strikes of the TELEKOM workers in Turkey, of the teachers in Bulgaria and the newly developing movement in defence of the right of social insurances in Greece. To increase and coordinate the struggle against the imperialist aggression and the neoliberal politics in the Balkans is a urgent task for all the communists, revolutionaries and anti-imperialists of the region. To fight against the occupation and hegemony of the imperialist forces in our region and the imperialist aggression and occupation in other regions as well as against racism and chauvinism which is stirred up among our peoples and the imperialist exploitation and plunder is one of our current tasks. Our conference greets the forces resisting against imperialism and offering a struggle for revolution and socialism against the system of exploitation and oppression in the Balkans and other countries of the world and expresses its solidarity with them. Close down the military bases, imperialist forces out of the Balkans! Down with the IMF and the neoliberal politics of impovement imposed by the USA and the EU! Down with chauvinism and racism, Long live the brotherhood of the peoples! Let´s increase the struggle for a world without exploitation and oppression! Second Conference of Communist and Workers’ Parties of the Balkans |