Frankfurt Book Fair has agreed to “suspend cooperation” with Russian state institutions involved with organising the Russian collective stand at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. Its decision follows an appeal from publishing and writing bodies in the Baltic States.
Jürgen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, said: “The organisers of the Frankfurt Book Fair strongly condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine ordered by President Putin. Against the backdrop of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, a violation of international law, the Frankfurt Book Fair is suspending cooperation with the Russian state institutions in charge of organizing the Russian collective stand at Frankfurter Buchmesse. The Frankfurt Book Fair assures the Ukrainian publishers’ associations of its full support.”
Twelve organizations representing book authors, publishers, and other professionals in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have unanimously expressed their support for Ukraine as it faces military aggression from Russia, and have called on the world’s most important book fairs in Frankfurt, London, and Bologna to adopt painful sanctions against the Russian Federation.
“Ukraine is fighting an unprovoked attack, and the entire European cultural community must also fight back with all the means at its disposal. We call on all cultural organizations, artists, and curators to follow our example: support Ukraine in the international arena, condemn Russian military terror, and demand respect for democratic values,” says Aušrinė Žilinskienė, Director of the Lithuanian Culture Institute, who has also called upon the EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture network to issue similar appeal in support of Ukraine.