EU confirms suspending €2 mln grant for Venice Biennale over Russia inclusion

BRUSSELS, April 23. /TASS/. The European Commission has officially confirmed it is suspending a €2 million grant for the Venice Biennale over the art exhibition’s decision to include Russia, the European Commission spokesman Thomas Renier said at a briefing in Brussels. "Let me confirm that the managing agency has indeed sent a letter (to the Italian government - TASS) to inform the Funazione Beinalle Venezia about our intention to suspend or terminate an ongoing grant of two million euros. <…> So, yes, our intention is to suspend or terminate the ongoing grant," he said. "We are strongly condemning the fact that Biennale has allowed for the Russian pavilion to reopen at the Biennale art exhibition," the official stressed. Renier said that the Biennale organizers have 30 days to challenge the European Commission's decision, otherwise the grant will be permanently revoked. Renier explained that the European Commission has not yet transferred funds from this grant to the Venice Biennale. According to sources, Brussels is currently discussing the possibility of using this money for military purposes if the Italian government fails to reverse the EC's decision. On April 21, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini denounced the European Commission's plans to deprive the Biennale of €2 million in funding, despite countries contributing billions to the EU budget, as "greedy." He explained that the Russian pavilion in Venice belongs to the Russian Federation, and therefore neither the Biennale's management nor the Italian state have any connection to it. Earlier it was announced that, after a four-year hiatus, Russia would participate in the art exhibition, which opens in early May. Venice Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco declared the exhibition "open" to all countries. Since then, controversy and protests by pro-Ukrainian forces have continued in Italy. Russian organizers indicated that they are not considering canceling Russia's participation, and work on the project, which involves the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, continues. The leading music school is providing artistic direction for the international musical and performance project "The Tree is Rooted in the Sky," which will be presented in the Russian pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art.