A meeting of the Working Group of the communist and workers parties took place in Athens on 17th February 2009 hosted by KKE [CP Greece] on the margins of the 18th KKE Congress.

The meeting was attended by the members of the Working Group CP of Brazil, CP of Cuba, CP of Spain, Portuguese CP, CPBM [Czech Republic], CPRF [Russia], South African CP, CP of India [Marxist], Lebanese CP and KKE and by representatives of CP of Canada, CP of Albania, Workers Party of Belgium, Syrian CP, CP of Syria, PPP Palestine, CP of Turkey.

The meeting discussed and decided on the topic, the date and the place for the 11th international meeting of communist and workers’ parties in 2009.

The 11th international meeting of communist and workers’ parties will be held  in November in Kerala, India and will be hosted by the Communist Party of India [Marxist] and the Communist Party of India. As far as the main topic of the meeting is concerned, the Working Group decided on the theme of “The international capitalist crisis, the workers’ and peoples’ struggle, the alternatives and the role of the communist and working class movement. “

Furthermore, in face of the very dangerous situation created by the murderous attacks and war crimes by Israel against the Palestinian people, the Working Group decided to convene a extraordinary meeting of communist and workers’ parties in solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people and the other people in Middle East in Damascus, Syria in September 2009.

During the session of the Working Group representatives from the communist and workers parties from Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and from other parties from Canada, Europe, South Africa and India gave information on the situation and the popular actions in the region of Middle East after the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

The parties saluted the heroic resistance to the aggressors and the great protest and solidarity movement and issued a solidarity statement appealing to continue and to amplify the action in support of the just struggle of the Palestinian people and the peace loving forces of Israel

The participants underlined their commitment to the actions and struggles against the capitalist crisis, to the initiatives commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution and to the other initiatives decided at the 10th international meeting in Sao Paolo in November 2008.

The Working Group of the Communist and Workers’ Parties

Athens, 17th February 2009