MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. Attempts to disrupt the Intervision international music contest through pressure on participants have failed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"There were serious attempts to influence some participants and disrupt the contest, but they were unsuccessful," Lavrov said on Channel One.

He added that Russia welcomes interest in the Intervision contest from Western journalists and observers. "This is a wonderful event that brings together everyone who wants to stay updated and keep pace with developments in multinational, transcontinental art. We are glad to see our Western colleagues and journalists showing interest in the contest," he said.