Belgrade International Conference for the 25 years since NATO's war in Yugoslavia concluded successfully

Under the title “25 years since NATO attack – We do not forget”, the Belgrade Forum for the World of Equals and the World Peace Council organized on 21-24 March 2024 an international conference in Belgrade, commemorating the 25th  anniversary of NATO's criminal imperialist attack against Yugoslavia. On Sunday 24 March, Serbian and foreign participants visited the Children Victims of NATO Memorial at Tasmajdan Park, as well as the Monument of the Eternal Flame at the Park of Friendship, paying homage to the victims of the 1999 crime committed by NATO forces.

The major speaker at the Conference was Živadin Jovanović, President of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals who had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1998 to 2000. 

Thanasis Pafilis (KKE): "Today the people in Türkiye and Greece need a strong Communist Party"

A delegation of the KKE took part in the mass event organized by the Communist Party of Türkiye (TKP) on Sunday 9/3 in Ankara ahead of the national and presidential elections that will be held in Turkey on 14 May. Thanasis Pafilis, member of the CC of the KKE, MP and head of the National list of the KKE delivered a greeting speech.

The full speech reads as follows:

World Peace Council's 22nd Assembly concludes in Vietnam: Pallab Sengupta elected new President

The 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council (WPC), was held from November 21 to 27 in Hanoi and the northern province of Quang Ninh. The event was the first of its kind to be held in Vietnam.

The new executive committee of 40 members elected Pallab Sengupta, General Secretary of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation, as President of the WPC with absolute consensus.

Thanasis Pafilis was re-elected General Secretary of the Council, and Iraklis Tsavdaridis was elected Executive Secretary.

KKE MPs blast Greek government: “You give everything to the U.S-NATO killers”

Communist MPs Giorgios Marinos and Thanasis Pafilis.

On Tuesday, the Greek-U.S. Defense Agreement, which actually expands the existing network of U.S. military bases in the country, was discussed at the Greek Parliament’s Committee. In the coming days the issue will be brought in the Parliament’s plenary in the form of a draft law that the parties will be called to vote for or against.

“The agreement is very dangerous for the country and the people and we demand its withdrawal” said Giorgos Marinos, MP and Politburo member of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), during the discussion at a Parliamentary Committee. 

World Peace Council (WPC): Speech by General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis in Belgrade

WPC General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis.

The World Peace Council Secretariat Meeting was held in Belgrade, Serbia, on 21st and 24th of March, 2019. 

The meeting coincided with the international conference, organised on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Below is the speech of the WPC General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis to the meeting.

Dear Comrades and Friends,

"North Macedonia" accession to NATO is a crime against the country's own people

"The signature of all of you has no ink but blood, which is going to chase you and you will pay dearly in your whole political life" said Thanasis Pafilis, the Communist Party of Greece's parliamentary representative during the discussion in the Greek Parliament's Committee of Foreign Affairs and Defense, regarding the protocol of FYROM's (now renamed as "North Macedonia") accession to NATO. 

Pafilis stressed that the protocol consists the essence of the Tsipras-Zaev Agreement which, as he pointed out, took place in order to accelerate the neighboring country's accesion to the imperialist alliance. During his speech, the KKE MP read an extract from a U.S. State Department report saying that Greece has taken a leading role in the process of Western Balkans' integration in the EU and NATO. "Congratulations, mission accomplished" said Pafilis referring to the deputies of SYRIZA. 

Novartis scandal: Greek Parliament to probe 10 politicians in alleged bribery case

Greek Parliament voted early on Thursday in favour of the SYRIZA-ANEL proposal to probe 10 politicians over allegations that they were involved in the Novartis scandal.

A parliamentary committee of 21 members will be set up and the process is expected to last for at least one month. 

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called on lawmakers late on Wednesday night to back a government proposal to form a parliamentary committee to investigate whether 10 prominent politicians were involved in an alleged bribery scandal perpetrated by Swiss drugmaker Novartis.

Thanasis Pafilis on Macedonia Issue: "NATO and EU are the people's murderers, not guarantors of borders"

Speaking earlier today (Wednesday) at the Greek Parliament, the parliamentary spokesman of the Communist Party of Greece Thanasis Pafilis, mentioned that nobody must see the Macedonia name issue (between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) "detached from all the developments in the wider region and especially in the Balkans". 

Thanasis Pafilis attacked both those who organize nationalist rallies - such as the one that took place three days ago in Thessaloniki- as well as those who express cosmopolitan views, underlining that both "do not challenge the accession of this country in NATO and the EU". More specifically, the KKE MP said: "The government's urgency [to solve the problem] - we don't know what agreements made in the USA- is exactly related with that. Because the USA and NATO in general are interested to incorporate FYROM in NATO and the EU, in order to finish the encirclement of Russia". 

Pafilis (KKE): The government of SYRIZA whitewashes the capitalist system

Thanasis Pafilis.

Speaking in the Parliament about the 2018 state budget, the Communist Party of Greece MP Thanasis Pafilis denounced both SYRIZA and the opposition party of New Democracy for their efforts to disorientate the people about the real enemy- capitalism. As Pafilis said, behind their disputes, SYRIZA and New Democracy try to relieve popular dissatisfaction within the same system, the power of the monopolies and the capital which exploits the wealth produced by the people. 

For that reason, the KKE MP underlined, the EU, the representatives of capitalism, the industrialists congratulate the SYRIZA-ANEL government. 

Pafilis also said that the government lies when it argues that by August 2018 the austerity memorandums will end, as long as none of the 600 laws will be abolished, while the implementation of antipeople measures has been scheduled to continue in 2019, 2020, even by 2060.

"Yes to Peace- No to NATO": World Peace Council's events against NATO Summit in Brussels

Click to enlarge.

On the occasion of NATO's Summit on May 25 in Brussels, the World Peace Council (WPC) escalates its anti-imperialist initiatives with new events. More specifically: 

On Tuesday 23th May, represented by President Socorro Gomes and Executive Secretary Iraklis Tsavdaridis, the WPC will participate in an open anti-NATO event organised by the Belgian INTAL at the Meeting Hall "de Spiegelzaal" at De Markten, Oude Graanmarkt 5. 

On Wednesday 24th May, the WPC will organise a conference against NATO, under the slogan "Yes to Peace- No to NATO". Speeches will be delivered by WPC President Socorro Gomes and WPC Secretary General Thanasis Pafilis. At least 18 anti-imperialist movements across the world will participate in the conference which will be held at the Meeting Hall "Sleep Well Hostel", at Rue du Damier 23 in Brussels.

The WPC will participate at the Anti-NATO rally of INTAL and other organisations at 17:00 (local time) at Gare du Nord.

The SYRIZA government serves capitalist barbarity: KKE MPs denounce the new austerity measures

Dimitris Koutsoumbas (Left) and Thanasis
Pafilis during their Parliament speeches.

Report by In Defense of Communism, info by 902.gr & Rizospastis.

As the Parliament prepares to vote upon the new austerity package (a 4th memorandum agreed by the government, the EU and the creditors), the MPs of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) unleashed an attack against the government's new antipeople measures. 

Speaking at the Parliament, the Secretary General of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas denounced the coalition SYRIZA-ANEL government as the one responsible for the shrinkage of people's standards of living and labour rights. "The new antipeople agreement" said D.Koutsoumbas, "consists a new a 4th memorandum" and pointed out that the new measures "both directly and indirectly support the profitability of business corporations". He also stressed that the policy followed by the government is based on directions which increase the exploitation of the working people and strengthen the concentration of the capital.

Interview with the member of the CC of KKE Thanasis Pafilis: The Cyprus Issue, AKEL and the positions of KKE

Interview of Thanasis Pafilis, member of the CC of the KKE, and parliamentary representative of the party to the MEGAONE news outlet in Cyprus- "Cyprus, united, independent, with its people sovereign".

Source: inter.kke.gr.

1. Is the KKE not concerned about the fact that its decision could negatively affect AKEL, with which it has special relations, and indeed in a period where the process of the resolution of the Cyprus Issue, which is also supported by AKEL, is being called into issue by various sides?

The stance of the KKE is rooted in its deep internationalist solidarity with the working class and popular strata of Cyprus, the Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots, Armenians,  Maronites and Latins, and is opposed to the monopoly interests that are promoting a new dichotomous plan so that they can gain control of the natural resources without any impediments. The leadership of AKEL has made its choices and its agreement with the framework of the government and President, a framework supported by the USA and the EU and especially Britain, is mistaken, without prospects and is leading the Cypriot people into great hazards.

Thanasis Pafilis (KKE): "The capitalist way of development neither wants nor can give a better life to the people"

Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The KKE's pre-electoral evaluation that the SYRIZA government will continue towards an even worse way than the previous governments and will bring a third memorandum has been proved, Thanasis Pafilis, member of the Central Committee and Parliamentary representative of KKE pointed out in a TV interview. Talking on "Skai" Television, Pafilis said that the only hope derives from the people who must take the streets and fight for their lives; he called the people to participate in the demonstrations that will be held on October 17th by hundreds of labor unions. 

When asked about the "left" character of the government, Pafilis mentioned that the people know that "Left and NATO" are not compatible, bringing as an example the offer, by the SYRIZA-ANEL government, of a new military base to NATO at Karpathos island. 

A left party, Thanasis Pafilis said, is not the one which crushes the working people, the self-employed and the poor farmers while it gives new privileges to those who have the power; the capital and the monopoly groups. The solution, Pafilis pointed out, is not New Democracy which poses as the original best manager of the bourgeois power.

World Peace Council: Internationalist solidarity meeting held in Athens

ATHENS- With a solidarity event at 'Alkyonis' cinema, the Greek Committee for International Peace and Detente (EEDYE) welcomed the members of the Secretariat of the World Peace Council (WPC) which met in Athens on May 27-28th. The event was attended by Giorgos Marinos, member of the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece, the Cuban ambassador in Greece Mr.Osvaldo Cobacho Martinez, the consul of the Palestinian embassy, as well representatives of various peace committees around the world.

The Secretariat of the World Peace Council met on Friday with major speakers being the WPC President Socorro Gomes and WPC General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis. The meeting was attended by representatives from several countries including Brazil, United States, Cuba, Portugal, Cyprus, Palestine, Syria, India, Nepal, South Africa, Congo, Poland, Turkey and Israel.

KKE: "The SYRIZA-ANEL government is purposely serving the most brutal Capitalism"

Thanasis Pafilis, KKE MP.

Addressing the Greek Parliament on Saturday, KKE's parliamentary representative Thanasis Pafilis underlined that the reality itselt vindicates what the Communist Party was openly saying to people. He pointed out that the government, the opposition party of New Democracy and the other bourgeois parties serve the common strategy of the EU; a strategy that aims to please the demands of the Capital.

MP Pafilis unleashed an attack against Tsipras' coalition government underlining that the government follows a predicable course as long as it follows the wild capitalist system with it's iron laws. "You say that you save the most brutal Capitalism in order to move to Socialism [...] You made your choice. The fight is about who is going to have the upper hand" Pafilis said and added: "You are in the road of capitalist development, in the road of social injustice, the road of poverty of the people and new profits for the big capital and we are along with the people, in the road of the (system's) overthrow. Because, finally, as it was proved in the past and is also proved now, the social systems doesn't change from within. They change and overturned from peoples' struggle and social revolutions".

Greek Parliament ratifies barbaric law on Social Security - KKE: The governmental policy destroys people's lives for the sake of monopolies

KKE MP Thanasis Pafilis.

In Defense of Communism © Report.

With the votes of governmental majority (SYRIZA-ANEL) the Greek Parliament approved on early Monday the monstrous law on social security and tax system. The legislation- combined of 166 articles- passed with the 153 votes of SYRIZA and ANEL (Independent Greeks), while 143 MPs voted against. A total of 296 legislators participated in the roll call vote held Sunday night; four were absent.

The "law-guillotine" sparked fierce reactions from labor and trade unions. The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) organised a massive rally in Syntagma Square where thousands of working people expressed their condemnation for the governmental policy. 

In their speeches, the KKE MPs denounced the barbaric measures of Tsipras' government. Refering to the SYRIZA-ANEL government, the General Secretary of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas said among other things:

"Once more you prove that you are very good students of the previous governments, "capable" successors of the most reactive (situation) this country has lived through the neoliberal management of New Democracy, as well as the most rotten and corrupt PASOK's Social Democracy offered". 

[...]

Greek parliament discussion on draft law for the refugees- ΚΚΕ: "You ask from the murderer to solve the problem"

KKE's parliamentary rep., MP Thanasis Pafilis.

The fact that the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government brings with fast-track procedure the draft law for the refugees- and on the same time adds more than 100 technical legislative issues- is unacceptable and serves other purposes said Thanasis Pafilis, the parliamentary representative of the Communist Party of Greece.

Refering to the causes of the refugee issue- taking into account that during their speeches the MPs of SYRIZA and New Democracy refered to various causes- Pafilis said that all of them voted and supported NATO's decision for a 'New Middle East' that was taken at the 2004 NATO summit in Istanbul. "When you signed the plan or when you supported it when it was submitted to the European Parliament, didn't you know what the outcome would be?" asked Pafilis. The KKE MP also added that only the Communist Party had then opposed these plans thus receiving-then- the accusations from the New Democracy, PASOK as well as from SYRIZA.