Date: 16 June 1977.
Source: "Message of greetings from the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and Chairman of the GDR Council of State, Erich Honecker, to the World Conference Against Apartheid, Racism and Colonialism in Southern Africa, held in Lisbon",
in Against Racism, Apartheid and Colonialism. Documents published by the GDR
1949—1977 (Staatsverlag, Berlin, 1977), page 661.
On the occasion of the World Conference Against Apartheid, Racism and Colonialism in southern Africa, I should like to convey to you cordial greetings on behalf of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, the Council of State, the Government and the people of the German Democratic Republic. This world conference is an important international event and will help to draw all antiimperialist and democratic forces even closer together in the struggle to eliminate the remnants of colonialism in southern Africa.
The German Democratic Republic has always actively supported the struggle of the peoples of Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa against the racist régimes, against the odious practice of apartheid and neocolonialist conspiracies, and for the implementation of the UN resolutions for the elimination of racism and colonialism, and will continue to show active solidarity with this struggle in future.
We wish the World Conference Against Apartheid, Racism and Colonialism complete success and we are convinced that it will strengthen the alliance between world socialism, all democratic and anti-imperialist forces and the national liberation movement in the struggle for peace and security, national independence and social progress for the peoples of southern Africa.
German text in: Neues Deutschland, 16 June 1977.