The Prague Post - Nobel Foundation cancels Russian ambassador invite to prize ceremony

EUR -
AED 4.271097
AFN 80.075691
ALL 97.693544
AMD 445.106045
ANG 2.081408
AOA 1066.464876
ARS 1479.700596
AUD 1.786311
AWG 2.093388
AZN 1.974665
BAM 1.956378
BBD 2.340383
BDT 140.691538
BGN 1.962703
BHD 0.438199
BIF 3454.139565
BMD 1.162993
BND 1.491265
BOB 8.008364
BRL 6.452402
BSD 1.159117
BTN 99.748175
BWP 15.658979
BYN 3.793389
BYR 22794.669946
BZD 2.328378
CAD 1.597784
CDF 3356.398956
CHF 0.933299
CLF 0.029244
CLP 1122.231048
CNY 8.354599
CNH 8.354508
COP 4658.6723
CRC 584.865713
CUC 1.162993
CUP 30.819324
CVE 110.316067
CZK 24.636503
DJF 206.412001
DKK 7.462795
DOP 69.73168
DZD 151.527538
EGP 57.403837
ERN 17.4449
ETB 160.871386
FJD 2.625342
FKP 0.866222
GBP 0.865459
GEL 3.151731
GGP 0.866222
GHS 12.083594
GIP 0.866222
GMD 83.149009
GNF 10058.569753
GTQ 8.894117
GYD 242.413258
HKD 9.127887
HNL 30.335782
HRK 7.533985
HTG 152.189142
HUF 399.011512
IDR 18960.338973
ILS 3.910187
IMP 0.866222
INR 100.002314
IQD 1518.515998
IRR 48976.555294
ISK 141.815831
JEP 0.866222
JMD 185.822824
JOD 0.824539
JPY 172.680668
KES 149.735519
KGS 101.703247
KHR 4646.110795
KMF 494.854893
KPW 1046.658061
KRW 1617.56107
KWD 0.355376
KYD 0.965955
KZT 619.061895
LAK 24996.786269
LBP 103859.570969
LKR 349.334715
LRD 232.407584
LSL 20.755386
LTL 3.434017
LVL 0.703483
LYD 6.30381
MAD 10.503601
MDL 19.705291
MGA 5182.309838
MKD 61.58904
MMK 2441.094069
MNT 4170.804593
MOP 9.371419
MRU 46.109948
MUR 53.090358
MVR 17.904415
MWK 2009.895842
MXN 21.799578
MYR 4.936324
MZN 74.384482
NAD 20.755386
NGN 1774.355704
NIO 42.659014
NOK 11.94036
NPR 159.595507
NZD 1.950165
OMR 0.446879
PAB 1.158942
PEN 4.112039
PGK 4.870171
PHP 66.432536
PKR 330.23229
PLN 4.258546
PYG 8972.153325
QAR 4.226356
RON 5.073555
RSD 117.183238
RUB 90.618779
RWF 1665.742448
SAR 4.36257
SBD 9.651504
SCR 17.020032
SDG 698.372794
SEK 11.299405
SGD 1.493266
SHP 0.91393
SLE 26.574434
SLL 24387.393949
SOS 662.39524
SRD 42.89349
STD 24071.614573
SVC 10.142782
SYP 15121.061961
SZL 20.751249
THB 37.671671
TJS 11.08133
TMT 4.082107
TND 3.41408
TOP 2.723851
TRY 46.911431
TTD 7.86871
TWD 34.160372
TZS 3033.420476
UAH 48.527029
UGX 4152.940304
USD 1.162993
UYU 46.891707
UZS 14811.984019
VES 136.029579
VND 30417.509954
VUV 139.135695
WST 3.210017
XAF 656.249501
XAG 0.030477
XAU 0.000348
XCD 3.143048
XDR 0.816164
XOF 656.249501
XPF 119.331742
YER 280.688811
ZAR 20.705521
ZMK 10468.336283
ZMW 27.094542
ZWL 374.483389
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Nobel Foundation cancels Russian ambassador invite to prize ceremony
Nobel Foundation cancels Russian ambassador invite to prize ceremony / Photo: Kena Betancur - AFP

Nobel Foundation cancels Russian ambassador invite to prize ceremony

The Nobel Foundation said Saturday it was reversing its decision to invite ambassadors from Russia and Belarus to this year's Nobel award ceremony in Stockholm, after the move sparked a backlash.

Text size:

In 2022, the Nobel Foundation, which organises 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.

They made the same decision regarding the Iranian envoy over the country's crackdown on a wave of protests.

The 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.

The foundation said Saturday that the decision was based on its belief "that it is important and right to reach out as widely as possible with the values and messages that the Nobel Prize stands for."

It noted however that the strong reactions "completely overshadowed this message".

"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 said in a statement.

Last year, the Norwegian Nobel Institute still invited all ambassadors to the Peace Prize ceremony it organises in Oslo, and the foundation said this would be the case again.

"As before, all ambassadors will be invited to the ceremony in Oslo," it noted.

The decision to once again invite the Russian and Belarusian representatives sparked ire in Sweden and abroad.

- 'Victory for humanism' -

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook that the foundation should support efforts to isolate Russia and Belarus as "millions of Ukrainians suffer from an unprovoked war and the Russian regime is not punished for its crimes".

On Saturday, Nikolenko called the reversal a "victory for humanism."

"We 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," he said in another post to Facebook.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also said Friday he disagreed with the Foundation's decision.

"I 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," he said in a written statement to AFP.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kristersson on Saturday welcomed the new decision.

"The many and strong reactions show that the whole of Sweden unambiguously stand on Ukraine’s side against Russia's appalling war of aggression," Kristersson said.

Several prominent Swedish politicians, including the leaders of the Centre, Green, Left and Liberal parties, had said they would boycott the event over the Russian ambassador's presence.

The 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.

A separate ceremony is held in Oslo on the same day for the Peace Prize laureate.

C.Zeman--TPP