STOCKHOLM: The Nobel Foundation said Saturday it was reversing its decision to invite ambassadors from Russia and Belarus to this year\u2019s Nobel award ceremony in Stockholm, after the move sparked a backlash.
\nIn 2022, the Nobel Foundation, which organizes the annual Nobel prize ceremony and banquet in Stockholm, decided not to invite the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to the Stockholm award event because of the war in Ukraine.
\nThey made the same decision regarding the Iranian envoy over the country\u2019s crackdown on a wave of protests.
\nThe Swedish foundation however said Thursday it was returning to its previous practice of inviting ambassadors from all countries represented in Sweden, sparking a wave of angry reactions.
\nThe foundation said Saturday that the decision was based on its belief \u201cthat it is important and right to reach out as widely as possible with the values and messages that the Nobel Prize stands for.\u201d
\nIt noted however that the strong reactions \u201ccompletely overshadowed this message.\u201d
\n\u201cWe, therefore, choose to repeat last year\u2019s exception to regular practice \u2014 that is, to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm,\u201d the foundation said in a statement.
\nLast year, the Norwegian Nobel Institute still invited all ambassadors to the Peace Prize ceremony it organizes in Oslo, and the foundation said this would be the case again.
\n\u201cAs before, all ambassadors will be invited to the ceremony in Oslo,\u201d it noted.
\nThe decision to once again invite the Russian and Belarusian representatives sparked ire in Sweden and abroad.
\nUkrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook that the foundation should support efforts to isolate Russia and Belarus as \u201cmillions of Ukrainians suffer from an unprovoked war and the Russian regime is not punished for its crimes.\u201d
\nOn Saturday, Nikolenko called the reversal a \u201cvictory for humanism.\u201d
\n\u201cWe thank everyone who demanded the restoration of justice. We are convinced that a similar decision should be made regarding the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to Oslo,\u201d he said in another post to Facebook.
\nSwedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also said Friday he disagreed with the Foundation\u2019s decision.
\n\u201cI would not have done it if I were handling invites to an award ceremony and I understand that it upsets many people in both Sweden and Ukraine,\u201d he said in a written statement to AFP.
\nWriting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kristersson on Saturday welcomed the new decision.
\n\u201cThe many and strong reactions show that the whole of Sweden unambiguously stand on Ukraine\u2019s side against Russia\u2019s appalling war of aggression,\u201d Kristersson said.
\nSeveral prominent Swedish politicians, including the leaders of the Center, Green, Left and Liberal parties, had said they would boycott the event over the Russian ambassador\u2019s presence.
\nThe glitzy event is held each year in Stockholm on December 10 when laureates in the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics receive their awards from King Carl XVI Gustaf.
\nA separate ceremony is held in Oslo on the same day for the Peace Prize laureate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
STOCKHOLM: The Nobel Foundation said Saturday it was reversing its decision to invite ambassadors from Russia and Belarus to this year\u2019s Nobel award ceremony in Stockholm, after the move sparked a backlash. In 2022, the Nobel Foundation, which organizes the annual Nobel prize ceremony and banquet in Stockholm, decided not to invite the Russian and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":353339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-353331","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n