Last year, the ambassadors from the three countries were exceptionally not welcome. This year, the foundation wanted to continue the tradition of the past to invite all ambassadors to the ceremony, with the aim of “to spread as widely as possible the values and messages that the Nobel Prize stands for”.
Swedish politicians reacted negatively to the invitations to Russia, Belarus and Iran. Several party leaders announced that they would not be attending the ceremony. The reactions have “overshadowed the message,” says the Nobel Foundation. “We have therefore chosen to repeat the exception to the usual practice.”
All ambassadors will still be welcome at the ceremony in the Norwegian capital Oslo, where only the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.
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