Remarks

By Comrade Somphone SICHALEUNE, Vice Chairman

of the Committee for External Relations of the Central Committee

of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party

at the 21^st International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties

18-20 October 2019, Izmir, Turkey

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- Esteemed Presidium

- Distinguished delegates

- Dear Comrades,

          At the outset, on behalf of the delegation of the Lao People’s Revolutionary PartyI am very pleased and honored to attend the 21^st International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties, which is held in this beautiful city of Izmir, Turkey. I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciations for the invitation and the warmest welcome extended to our delegation, as well as the excellent arrangements of the meeting by the Communist Party of Turkey together with the Communist Party of Greece.I would like to wish the meeting a great success.

Dear Delegates,

The founding of the Communist International was one of the remarkable political events for humankind in the XX^th century. It has gone through difficult period of history and overcome serious challenges and tests, including containment and sabotages by its opponents. But the spirit of the proletarian internationalism has not been broken and the flame of the international communist movements not been extinguished. On the contrary, they not only survive, but also continue to further develop under new conditions.

Throughout a century of the Communist International path, it is proven that the struggle for peace and socialism still remains the supreme ideology of the working class and a heavy common cause that the communist and workers’ parties across the world have to shoulder.

​The continued existence and rise of the spirit of the proletarian internationalism and international communist movements, which always uphold peace and socialism, are attributed to objective factors as follows: peace is a common desire of humankind and a pre-requisite for the development of humanity; safeguarding peace is an obligation and task of all countries and political and social forces, especially the progressive forces; and the struggle for maintaining peace is a long-term unchanged strategy of the communist and workers’ parties as well as progressive forces in the world.

The lessons drawn from the history show that under the leadership of the communist and workers’ parties, the struggle for peace and socialism has been waged in a constant, fierce and decisive manner. Notwithstanding the socialist annihilation, socialism continues to survive, maintain its momentum and further develops in many countries. With its fundamental achievements gained in various areas, socialism has shown to the world its excellent characteristics, hence offering an alternative to development paths and becoming goals for many nations in the world.

Dear Comrades,

Lao People’s Revolutionary Party has led Lao people’s struggle for peace and national independence over the past and continue to lead the cause of socialist building, which faces with tremendous challenges. The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party is a revolutionary party of the Lao working class, which always upholds Marxism-Leninism as a foundation for the party’s ideology and thinking, and creatively applies Marxism-Leninism to suit the realities and characteristics of the country.

The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party has embraced a combination of patriotism with genuine proletarian internationalism and synergized national strengths with the ones of the new era, while consistently pursuing a foreign policy of peace, independence, friendship and cooperation. On this basis, the struggle of the Lao people has garnered sympathy as well as considerable and wholehearted support and assistance from fraternal countries, political parties, friends, international organisations and people, who cherish peace and justice all over the world, thus leading to the glorious victory in the struggle for national liberation, and solemnly proclaiming the establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on 2^nd December 1975, and carrying on the cause of national safeguarding and construction over the past years.

At present, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party has relations with almost 140 political parties in the world. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has enjoyed firm political stability, security and social order. The country’s economy steadily grew with an average GDP of 6,9% for the period 2017-2018, and 6,5% in the first half of 2019 and income per capita of more than US$ 2600. People’s poverty rate has been gradually reduced. Lao people have witnessed gradual improvement in their well-being. On this occasion, on behalf of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to fraternal political parties and friends for the invaluable support and assistance provided for the Lao PDR and the Lao multi-ethnic people thus far.

Against the regional and international landscape continuing to undergo complex changes, and being characterized by cooperation and inter-dependence, fierce competition and confrontations, the struggle for peace and socialism will encounter with tremendous challenges and tests lying ahead. It is more important than ever that the communist and workers’ parties, political parties and progressive movements in the world must stand firmly resolute and persevering, strengthen the resolve solidarity and coordination in activities, and exchange lessons learned so as to enhance international cooperation and the proletarian internationalism spirit for the cause of peace and cooperation for development towards socialism.

• We strongly believe in the bright future of socialism!
• Long live Marxism-Leninism!
• Long live international solidarity!

(I thank you).