Peace is the Pressing Need Today

By Demetris Christofias

Former President of the Republic of Cyprus,

Permit me to express my warm thanks to organizers of this gathering,which aims to honour the day of peace and to remember together the suffering and devastation brought about by the two world wars and so many regional wars since then.

The catastrophic Second World War,which was caused by the militarist and fascist axis,cost tens of millions of lives and led to incalculable material damage.It ended with the unjustified and inhuman dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.After the war the international community established,along with the foundation of the United Nations,rules governing the behavior between states in order to prevent the outbreak of new wars and to consolidate peace;rules termed as International Law.The prevalence of peace and implementation of a policy of development and prosperity for the inhabitants of this planet requires the consistent application of the rules of International Law and the continuous mobilization of the peace-loving forces for the defense of the people's rights to life,development,education and social welfare in general.This is the reason why Peace Councils were set up at national and international levels.

Are the principles and rules of International Law years after the catastrophic Second World War indeed being respected?The answer is that the principles and rules of International Law are not being respected.The proof lies in the tens regional wars that have been launched and are being waged,with disastrous consequences in all corners of the world.What is the cause of the disrespect of International Law and its rules and by whom?

The source of the erroneous situation is the same one that gave birth to both fascism and militarism and brought the Second World War.That is to say,the acute exploitation of the planet's human and natural resources arbitrarily and arrogantly by the monopolies and multinational companies.It is due to the military-industrial complex that is controlling governments and unleashing expansionist wars.

There are numerous examples one can cite.I will refer to the typical examples of the Middle East,aiming at the exploitation of oil and gas,as well as to Palestine,Vietnam,Afghanistan,Iraq,Syria and Yugoslavia.In addition to the dozens of coups d'état in Latin America and Europe to impose regimes,tools of the monopolies and aggressive blocs.

The existence of the Soviet Union,the People's Republic of China and the community of Socialist States in general,despite the Cold War,imposed a relative balance,even though this was characterized as the balance of terror.The struggling peoples and the forces defending peace and the rights of the common people found a steadfast bastion of support in the forces of socialism,regardless of errors and omissions committed in the course of the implementation of this system.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union and the community of socialist states in Europe were considered by the expansionist forces of imperialism and various hawks of the militaryindustrial complex as a suitable golden opportunity for the prevalence of a system plundering the natural resources of countries and peoples all over the world.

For these expansionist and inhuman policies to prevail,these very same cycles created"Al-Qaeda",Osama bin Laden and international terrorism.They created Saddam Hussein and various other dictators in Africa and Asia,as well as the jihadists,who are today committing brutal crimes and intimidating humanity.The imperialist forces have opened the floodgates,and are reaping what they have sowed.However the storms they have unleashed are deceiving and victimizing entire peoples.

The system of exploitation and oppression of the people when in a deep crisis gives birth to and revives fascism and militarism.This is what is occurring before our very eyes today in Ukraine,where the U.S.and EU supported and imposed in power the children and grandchildren of Hitler's fascist collaborators,after the attack on the Soviet Union.The goal was to contain Russia,which once again is putting up resistance.

In commemorating the Day of Peace we must point out that peace is being ignored,which is the pressing need today.

Peace has been missing,for 40 years now,in my country as well,Cyprus,which imperialism sees as strategically important,given that it has a vital geographical position the key that connects Europe,Asia,the Middle East and Africa in general.As far as the expansionist forces I have referred to are concerned,Cyprus constitutes an ideal military launching pad and base.This was demonstrated during the Suez crisis,during the wars between Israel and the Arab countries and during the crisis and invasion of Iraq.This is why,the Cypriot people,Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots,are suffering due to its use by the Athens junta and the fascist elements within the Greek Cypriot community,to overthrow President Makarios,who refused to yield to NATO and the Turkish invasion that followed the coup d'état and subsequently imposed the military occupation of 37%of its territory also implementing an expansionist policy.

Our government,under the Presidency of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL,the Communist party of Cyprus,follows a multilevel and balanced foreign policy of friendship and cooperation with all countries of the world,regardless of their socio-economic system.It upholds and bases its struggle on the principles of International Law,which forms a protective shield in the efforts to find hydrocarbons in Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone.

All these years where peace in Cyprus is missing and my country and our people are suffering from the military occupation,but it has always enjoyed the support of the People's Republic of China,the Soviet Union and subsequently until now of the Russian Federation,the French Republic,the permanent members of the UN Security Council,and utilized its accession to the European Union in the efforts to solve our problems.

The relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Cyprus are based on the principle"One Cyprus-One China".Our relationships expand in depth and breadth,both in the political,and the economic-cultural fields.Their relations contribute to the prevalence of peace and cooperation and represent an example of how relations between states should be forged.

I grasp this opportunity from this podium as well to express the sincere thanks and gratitude of the people of Cyprus and the Party from which I come from for the consistent and unconditional support rendered by the People's Republic of China to Cyprus and our people,both in the Security Council of the United Nations,as well as in other international organizations too.

I believe that in today's world the People's Republic of China plays a role of a force for stability,the role of a defender of peace,security and cooperation,in Asia,Africa,and the world in general.This is also the message to be drawn from the speech of President Xi Jinping,which he delivered in the Fourth Summit on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia,which was held recently in Shanghai.