Annual Prize Awards
STOCKHOLM: On Saturday, the Nobel Foundation announced its decision to reverse a prior one and stated that it would not extend invitations to the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to attend the Nobel Prize awards ceremony in Stockholm this year. This change came in response to widespread criticism following their earlier decision.
Last year, the foundation had excluded the ambassadors of Russia and its ally Belarus due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, on Thursday, the foundation had initially announced its intention to invite these ambassadors, along with Iran’s ambassador, to this year’s prize award ceremonies scheduled for December.
The rationale given was an attempt to include even those who did not share the values of the Nobel Prize.
This announcement triggered strong reactions from the leaders of several Swedish political parties, who declared their intention to boycott the ceremonies.
Acknowledging the significant reactions in Sweden, the Nobel Foundation released a statement on Saturday, stating, “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 Annual Prize awards ceremony in Stockholm.”
The Nobel Prize winners, announced in early October, award five of the six Nobel prizes annually in Stockholm.
The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, where separate celebrations are held.
