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International Music Competitions Federation excludes Tchaikovsky Competition — statement

The Federation claims that it is "apolitical," while also stating that it "can't support or have as a member, a competition financed and used as a promotional tool by the Russian regime"

GENEVA, April 20. /TASS/. The World Federation of International Music Competitions excluded the International Tchaikovsky Competition from its membership. According to the statement, published by the Federation on its website Tuesday, the decision was made on April 13 during the extraordinary general assembly over the special military operation in Ukraine.

"In a vote following its Extraordinary General Assembly held on 13 April 2022, the World Federation of International Music Competitions has decided with an overwhelming majority of member votes to exclude the International Tchaikovsky Competition from its membership with immediate effect," the statement reads.

The Federation claims that it is "apolitical," while also stating that it "can't support or have as a member, a competition financed and used as a promotional tool by the Russian regime."

According to the statement, the Federation’s main goal is "active support of young artists", and "right now particularly Ukrainian artists." At the same time, the organization noted that, in its previous statement, it opposed "blanket sanctions on all Russians and against the discrimination and exclusion of individual artists, based on their nationality".

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