MOSCOW, September 5The refusal of the Nobel Foundation to invite the Russian ambassador to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm is cowardice and a lack of standards on fundamental issues, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Nobel Foundation, after a «stormy reaction» in society, revised its decision and will not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm in 2023, all ambassadors will be invited to the ceremony in Oslo.
«This is cowardice — one, shortsightedness — two, inability to defend one's fundamental, as they say, positions — three. And, as always, the absence of any standards on fundamental issues at all,» Zakharova said during a briefing.
She added that the Nobel Foundation «swung at the good», but as a result «has called into question their own impartiality, independence and adherence to principles.»
«Once upon a time, this (the fund — ed.) was one of the most authoritative, large platforms. In connection with the discovery of a large number of archival documents, we learned how Western intelligence services» knocked out «decisions from this fund, how they intrigued about the presentation of awards, how they politicized this process. But now it is no longer required to open archival documents or declassify secret materials. Now all this is happening before our eyes,» she concluded.
Earlier, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the Nobel Foundation “decided to change its practice” by inviting the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2023. This, as noted by the publication, caused sharp criticism. The Nobel Foundation itself defended its decision on Thursday, arguing that the Nobel Foundation represents the opposite of polarization, nationalism and populism.
On Friday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, after the decision of the Nobel Foundation to invite the ambassadors of the Russian Federation, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2023, said that he would not have invited Russia if he had been responsible for organizing the event, in addition, several party leaders in Sweden have already refused to attend the ceremony.
The Nobel Prizes are presented on December 10 — the day of the death of the founder of the awards, Alfred Nobel (1833-1896).
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