About 150 diplomats to attend this year’s Munich Security Conference, Kuleba to represent Ukraine
Christoph Heusgen revealed the first details of the security conference in Munich (Photo:European Institute у Columbia University/Flickr)
About 150 world diplomats and leaders will attend the Munich Security Conference, but nobody from Russia, due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the chairman of the conference, Christoph Heusgen, said at a briefing on Feb. 13.
Heusgen said over 45 leaders from various countries, and top officials from their governments are expected to attend the conference, Ukrainian outlet Ukrinform reported.
Also attending will be 83 ministers of defence and foreign affairs, as well as other senior officials.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda will be among the leaders attending the conference. The leaders of the Scandinavian countries, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and the largest ever delegation to the conference from the U.S. Congress will also come to Munich.
Ukraine will be presented by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and about 20 parliamentarians.
Heusgen also explained his decision not to invite any Russia representatives to Munich:
"We have been watching the ongoing events intensively in recent months and weeks,” he said.
“Putin hasn't changed his statement even one iota. He negates Ukraine’s right to exist. Traces of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash obviously lead to the Kremlin, as well."
MPs of the German Bundestag from the far-right AfD party were also denied an invite to the conference.
Iran, which has helped Russia attack Ukraine by supplying Moscow with flying bomb drones, isn't invited at the conference either, although developments in Iran will be discussed there.
The 59th Munich Security Conference will be held on Feb. 17-19. One of its main topics will be an analysis of the situation a year after the start of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
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