MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Moscow’s nomination for hosting the Expo-2030 international exhibition amid competition with another four candidates cannot expect a fair and unbiased assessment, which is why Russia has taken an overriding decision to voluntarily withdraw its capital’s nomination for hosting the fair, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
"We have to state that the international exhibition movement has become another victim of a massive anti-Russia campaign opened up by the collective West to squeeze our country out from all cooperation areas," the document said. "Amid those conditions, unfortunately, there is no question of fair competition for the right to hold global universal exhibitions. Moscow’s application for hosting Expo-2030 obviously cannot expect a fair and unbiased assessment amid competition with another four candidates, no matter what undeniable advantages it has," the ministry noted.
"In this respect the Russian Federation has taken an overriding decision to voluntarily withdraw Moscow’s nomination for the right to host Expo-2030. A respective notification was submitted to the International Exhibition Bureau in due course on May 23, 2022," the statement said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has no doubt the pressure on Russia and its partners is "yet another dirty attempt" to demonize Russia made by a number of countries.
"We are going to believe that the global exhibition movement will get back to its roots when it was involved in non-political and strictly applied activities in some foreseeable future. Hopefully necessary conditions for Russia’s participation in equal competitive struggle for the right to host Expo will be created in the future," according to the statement.