Ambassadors from Russia, Belarus and Iran have been disinvited from attending the Nobel Prize ceremony after an earlier decision to invite representatives from the three countries was met with backlash.
The Nobel Foundation said Saturday that it would not be inviting the ambassadors from the trio of countries to the ceremony set to take place Dec. 10 in Stockholm, after several Swedish political parties said they would boycott the event.
Last year, ambassadors from Russia and its ally Belarus were left out of the ceremony because of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We recognize the strong reactions in Sweden,” the foundation said in a statement on Saturday.
“We, therefore, choose to repeat last year’s exception to regular practice — that is, to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm.”
The foundation’s decision was a reversal that came after it announced Thursday that it would invite ambassadors from the three countries, stating that it sought to include those who did not share the values of the Nobel Prize.
“It is clear that the world is increasingly divided into spheres, where dialogue between those with differing views is being reduced,” Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the Nobel Foundation, said in the initial statement.
“To counter this tendency, we are now broadening our invitations to celebrate and understand the Nobel Prize and the importance of free science, free culture and free, peaceful societies,” he continued.
Five of the six Nobel prizes awarded in Stockholm every year and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is given out in Oslo during separate festivities.
The Nobel Foundation noted that while the ambassadors from Russia, Belarus, and Iran would not be invited to the ceremony in Stockholm, they can still attend the event in Oslo.
“As before, all ambassadors will be invited to the ceremony in Oslo,” it noted.
This year’s prize winners will be announced from Oct. 2. through Oct. 9.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced Oct. 6.
With Post Wires.