Last year, due to Ukraine war, both the countries had to stay out of it. Iran also had to stay out last year due to lack of permission to participate. This time he has also been invited to participate.
The foundation said that people who do not share its views are still invited to join. At the same time, a Swedish MEP described this year's invitation as wrong. Anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmy Akesson was also invited for the first time this year, but said he was too busy to attend.
Belarus was not invited because it supported Russia in the war.
Five of the six Nobel Prize ceremonies take place each year in Stockholm, while the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo. Last year, the Nobel Foundation said the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus would not be invited because of Russia's attack on Ukraine. Belarus is a key ally of Russia and its leader Alexander Lukashenko has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Last year Iran was also not invited. Iran has long faced criticism for its human rights record. The United Nations has said the government there violated human rights in its crackdown on protests last year.
Foundation criticized for inviting Russia
Swedish Liberal Party MEP Karin Carlsbro accused the foundation of setting a bad precedent by giving the green light to invite Russia to a lavish party. He said- Russian missiles fall on Ukrainian cultural centers and kill children.
Speaking to Swedish Radio, he described Russia, Belarus and Iran as evil countries that oppress their citizens. They wage war and terror against their own people and neighboring countries.
He said, these are countries which do not support democratic values in any way. There is a war going on in Europe. Swedish political party leaders are traditionally invited to the banquet but Sweden Democrat leader Jimmy Akesson was snubbed in the past.
Trying to bring the divided world together
Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the Nobel Foundation, said of the decision to invite countries back, it is clear that the world is becoming increasingly divided, where there is less dialogue between people with different views.
To confront this problem, to understand it, we are now extending our invitation to celebrate the Nobel Prize and the importance of free science, free culture and free peaceful societies.
