Pafilis: Yugoslavia was the first NATO laboratory, and the year 1999 should neither be forgotten nor forgiven

Secretary-General of the World Peace Council and Member of the Greek Parliament, Athanasios Pafilis, stated that the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 should neither be forgotten nor forgiven. He assessed for Kosovo online that Greece, despite opposition from some parties, could still recognize Kosovo's independence.

"Everything that happened with Yugoslavia was the beginning of what is now called the 'new world order,' which means the domination of imperialism. Yugoslavia was the first laboratory where NATO, the USA, and the EU began to implement a 'new situation' for the world. This means serving the interests of big multinational capital and destroying anyone who opposes it," Pafilis stated.

According to him, 25 years later, what he considers a dirty war against Serbia, there is abundant evidence of what the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) produced on the international scene.

"Today, 25 years later, it has been shown what NATO and the USA, and especially for Serbia, what the European Union is. We can see this with the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and now in Palestine," Pafilis assesses.

He says that the only solution is for nations to gather and fight to overturn, as he puts it, the worst form of barbarism.

"There is no other way. Especially the people in Serbia, which is now in negotiations, under pressure from NATO, and the EU, should not have illusions. The situation today, and I think everyone sees it, is such that there should be no illusions about the role of the European Union and the USA. Many wars are happening in the world, and only if there is resistance and a reversal to the imperialist-capitalist system, it is possible to create a new world where there will be peace, solidarity, and social justice," Pafilis says.

Asked whether Greece would recognize the independence of Kosovo, Pafilis says that the Communist Party of Greece, of which he is a member, is against such a decision.

"People may not know, but we were on the streets every day in 1999, demonstrating in support of Yugoslavia. Personally, during the war, I came to Belgrade and spent nights on the bridges. And many other delegations from Greece came. The Greek Government is conservative, but it has the support of the Socialists or the New Left. And they will recognize Kosovo. But we will not because Kosovo is Serbia," Pafilis says.

He emphasizes that Serbia should not have the illusion that the governments of the EU, but also the parties that support the Greek Government, will not accept all decisions of the European Union.

"I am not talking about the Greek Government, but about the parties that support all decisions of the EU. They will try to find a solution for an independent Kosovo officially because the situation is complicated. Also, they will seek a way for Kosovo to become a member of the Council of Europe. But, we must fight to prevent that," Pafilis concluded.