Netherlands cancels invitation to Russian naval cadets to intl forum
VELIKIY NOVGOROD. June 25 (Interfax) - The Netherlands has annulled the invitation to the Russian delegation to the conference of the International Sea Cadet Association (ISCA) over the events in Ukraine, Nikolai Varukhin, captain director of the Novgorod Young Seamen's Club, told Interfax on Thursday.
"The first time we missed an annual ISCA conference was in 2014. It was held in Canada and the Canadian side warned us that our participation in the forum was undesirable. Moreover, Canada made a decision that the ISCA conference, which was scheduled to be held in Velikiy Novgorod in 2016, will take place in India. China, Singapore and some other countries voted against the change of venue,' Varukhin said.
Varukhin said the Novgorod naval cadets received an invitation to the ISCA conference in the Netherlands in early 2015. Russia requested confirmation from the organizers. "On Wednesday, we received a response signed by Admiral Kramer, the head of the Dutch naval cadets, who said that the Russian delegation was found undesirable at the conference after consultations in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to the Malaysian Boeing crash and other events in Ukraine and the invitation had been annulled. The admiral said he was very sorry that the international situation affected ISCA's youth education work, but he cannot ignore the current situation, although he personally apologizes to us for the inconvenience," Varukhin said.
Varukhin said he is concerned that Russia may be expelled from ISCA at the forum in the Netherlands. "I'm afraid they will expel us. It will be a shame," he said.
ISCA comprises naval cadet organizations in over twenty countries. The Novgorod club has been the only Russian member of the association since 1998. In 2006, an ISCA conference was held in Velikiy Novgorod. International naval cadet congresses were held in the Young Seamen's Club in 2005-2012.