BARCELONA/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – There shall be no Russian pavilion at the telecoms trade’s greatest annual gathering and a “handful” of Russian firms shall be barred from it as a result of of sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the occasion’s organizer mentioned on Friday.
The organizers of the Mobile World Congress condemned Moscow’s actions, however haven’t any plans to cancel or postpone the gathering scheduled between Feb. 28 and March 3 in Barcelona, John Hoffman, the chief govt of occasion organizer GSMA, informed Reuters.
“As we see the scenario at the moment, we do not see any want or requirement to try this. Of course it is an evolving scenario and we’ll proceed to watch it,” Hoffman mentioned.
He mentioned “a handful, just a few” Russian firms and their executives can be banned however didn’t identify them, saying the sanctions lists had been evolving.
“We are guided by the worldwide sanctions and there are some firms which might be recognized on the sanction record and people shall be barred from taking part,” he mentioned, including GSMA would strictly comply with U.S. sanctions in addition to others.
Conference organisers count on between 40,000 and 60,000 individuals at the present, making it one of the most important in-particular person occasions for the reason that begin of the pandemic, although nonetheless under 2019’s numbers.
Hoffman mentioned the determine would most likely be nearer to 60,000 and attendance can be very excessive amongst prime executives.
Constanti Serrallonga, normal supervisor of Fira de Barcelona, the occasion’s venue, spoke of a superb construct-as much as the gathering.
“We predict to see an version that may nearly appear like a pre-pandemic occasion.”
The Ukraine invasion has not led to any vital lodge cancellations in Barcelona associated to the occasion with the exception of some representatives from jap Europe, tourism web site Hosteltur reported.
For Barcelona’s Nobu Hotel the return of a big-format convention meant it might reopen after it remained shut for two years as a result of of the pandemic.
“We count on the Mobile World Congress to fulfill our expectations … we’re setting the tone that Barcelona is again”, supervisor Laurence Dubey mentioned.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm and Joan Faus and Horaci Garcia in Barcelona; extra reporting by Christina Thykjaer; modifying by Hugh Lawson and Jason Neely)
