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| Volume 56 Number 18, June 13, 2026 | ARCHIVE | HOME | JBCENTRE | SUBSCRIBE |
The Third International Anti-Fascist Forum, organised by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, was held in Moscow from May 24 to 26. The event brought together 187 participants from 100 countries, including representatives of communist parties from around the world. A representative of the New Communist Party of Britain participated. The People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cuba were represented, as well as Palestine, Iran, Lebanon and Venezuela.
The first International Anti-Fascist Forum was held in Minsk, Belarus, on April 22, 2023, with participation from 50 countries. The second forum took place in Moscow on April 23, 2025, drawing 164 participants from 91 countries.
The forum opened with a plenary session under the theme, "The Struggle Against International Terrorism, Arbitrary Actions and Aggression: For Peace and Security". Discussions then continued in two thematic sessions: "Imperialism and International Terrorism in the 21st Century: Causes, Goals, and Methods" and "Solidarity in the Struggle Against International Terrorism and Its Manifestations: The Role of the Progressive Forces of the Left".
Participants exchanged views on contemporary international developments, focusing on what they described as wars and acts of terrorism carried out through the collaboration of imperialist, fascist, and Zionist forces.
Among the issues raised were calls to end the genocide against the Palestinian people, opposition to what participants characterised as US imperialist efforts to abduct and unlawfully detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, demands to halt military aggression against Iran, and appeals to end energy blockades and sanctions imposed on Cuba. Delegates also expressed support for Russia's ongoing Special Military Operation in Ukraine, describing it as an anti-fascist and anti-terrorist struggle against provocations and terrorist actions carried out by NATO and Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces.
In his opening speech, Gennady Zyuganov, general secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, said: "We have gathered at the Third International Anti-Fascist Forum to discuss our shared goals in the struggle for peace and security, friendship among peoples and social justice.
"This multifaceted activity of leftist forces cannot be conducted in isolation from the fight against imperialism and state terrorism, military aggression and neocolonialism, reaction and neo-fascism. The global expansion of capital continues. It achieves its goals by relying on two main pillars: physical force and the manipulation of consciousness.
"This forum is another step towards unity in the fight against global reaction. Imperialism has shed the last vestiges of its peace-making veneer. On our stunningly beautiful planet, it sows terrible poverty and state terrorism, war and death. Our shared task is to boldly expose the essence of big capital's policies, [...] put forward our alternative and persistently pursue our goals."
The conference was also addressed by the last leader of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Egon Krenz, who was awarded the Lenin Prize during the conference.
In a message to the forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the world is facing serious challenges, regional conflicts, and growing global instability. He emphasised the importance of uniting constructive forces in pursuit of a just and democratic multipolar world. Putin also called for joint resistance against destructive ideologies, xenophobia, neo-Nazism, anti-Semitism, and Russophobia, while stressing the need to preserve historical truth regarding World War II and the sacrifices made by European peoples in the struggle for liberation.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in his greeting to the forum, stated that the threat of terrorism is increasingly taking on a global character and that strengthening international solidarity among communists against the ideology of violence is both a necessity and a responsibility to future generations. He reaffirmed Belarus's longstanding opposition to terrorism in all its forms.
Following two days of discussions, participants adopted the forum's final statement at a plenary meeting on May 25. The following day, delegates laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Red Square and visited memorial monuments dedicated to the Hero Cities of the former Soviet Union.
(Sources: World Anti-imperialist Platform, New Worker)