MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Unfriendly forces have been engaged in systematic activities in their attempts to disrupt major international events in Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin has said.

"We can see this at a number of major significant events. The enemies conduct this work systematically, in a pin-point way, be it sports, cultural or other events held in Russia, in order to dissuade [foreign delegations from participation] or to force them to refrain from participation," Pankin said at a meeting of the Organizing Committee of the Fourth Eurasian Women's Forum.

In this context, he noted that the Russian Foreign Ministry would furnish diplomatic support to counteract the influence of external forces with regard to the Eurasian Women's Forum, to be held in St. Petersburg in 2024.

"We will try to do so very tightly," Pankin said.

"We have already joined the work for drawing up the lists of the forum’s participants, which will gather ladies of distinction - heads of states, governments and parliaments, leaders of public opinion, and experts," Pankin said noted. "Of course, the focus is mainly on the countries friendly to us." At the same time, he explained that a number of guests were expected from unfriendly jurisdictions, among whom there will be "sensible people who are able to contribute more reason and pragmatism to these discussions and deliberations in the current difficult conditions."

"As of today, more than 600 candidates from the CIS, Asia, Africa and Latin America have already been selected. These are not final figures. We will keep working," Pankin said.