Public statement of communist and workers’ parties to the people of Northern Europe and the Baltic region. We must steer clear of NATO-agreements, preparation of NATO-membership and the warlike policy of the United States and European imperialist powers!
Military alliance NATO has expanded its operations in the Baltic region to its member states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in Northern Europe to Denmark and Norway and with special partnership agreements to Sweden and Finland. NATO has under its control the land area of these states, the Baltic sea between and the entire airspace of the area.
The United States and NATO together with right-wing governments of the region are increasing militaristic tensions and preparing the integration of Sweden and Finland into NATO. Finland’s NATO membership would close the last remaining 1300 kilometer long border of peace between Western Europe and Russia.
For more then 100 years in international capitalism, that has reached its imperialist stage, there has been a struggle between different alliances and blocs trying to prevent each other from expanding. The rivalry and competition between different imperialist powers inevitably leads to wars and territorial re-division of the world.
We, the parties who have signed this declaration, see that our region has a crucial importance in military strategy when competing for access to natural resources, such as gas, oil and minerals of the arctic region and northern parts of Russia. Siberia also still has the largest untapped source of lumber. The expansion of NATO to our region serves most of all the interests of American imperialism, EU imperialism and EU’s northern dimension policy, which strives to subjugate Russian monopoly capitalism under its own rule.
In our view this development is not in the interests of the Baltic and Nordic peoples. Rejecting the policy of neutrality, signing agreements with NATO and preparation of war are projects which directly go against the interests of the working masses. The funds that have been diverted towards purchasing of more armaments and military activity should be used to develop services to meet the health, social, economic and cultural needs of the people. The people need work, reliable livelihood and peace – not war.
As communists we oppose imperialism. In the system of capitalism and imperialism there can never be lasting peace. The only solution is a struggle for socialism, for the taking of productive forces into the hands of the workers. We oppose the strengthening of all imperialist centers and urge the workers of our region to build up the power of their class and thus challenge the system of world imperialism.
Long live socialism and the struggle against imperialism
Declaration of the Nato-conference of communist and workers’ parties of Nordic and Baltic regions
1. Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Norwegian states must resign from the military alliance Natoa
2. Preparation for Nato-membership of Finland and Sweden must be stopped. They must resign from their Nato-treaties.
3. States of the region must reject the warlike imperialist policy of the USA.
4. Military drills and preparation for war in the region must be stopped.
5. The funds for further armament purchases should instead be used to meet the health, social, economic and cultural needs of the people. The people need work, stable livelyhood and peace – not war.
6. The Nordic and Baltic regions must be free of nuclear weapons. The states of the region must ratify the UN’s nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Vantaa, Finland January 20. 2018
