Russia's military aggression against Ukraine has received criticism and sanctions from many parties.
One of them is Russia which is prohibited from joining the 2022 Mobile World Congress (MWC) technology conference, which is being held in Barcelona, Spain.
Previously, the MWC events in 2020 and 2021 were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic that hit the whole world.
This year MWC is finally being held offline again after the last time in 2019.
In condemnation of Russian leaders responsible for the war in Ukraine, many European countries have imposed sanctions and banned Russia from participating in global events, such as the Eurovision Song Contest and the F1 Grand Prix.
Later, the GSMA as the organizer of the MWC has, officially announced that Russia is prohibited from joining MWC 2022 and other related events this year.
"The GSMA strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The situation is moving fast, and we understand that various governments are considering broader sanctions against Russia," the GSMA said in a statement.
"MWC is a unifying event with a vision to unify the mobile ecosystem to advance the ways and means of connectivity that can ensure people, industry and communities thrive."
"The GSMA is following all government sanctions and policies resulting from this situation. There will be no Russian Pavilion at MWC 2022. Security for the event is constantly being reviewed and adjusted as information emerges."
In solidarity and support for the sanctions imposed on Russia, the GSMA has officially confirmed that it has also blocklisted several Russian technology companies.
With the inclusion of a Russian technology company on the black list, they will not participate in this grand event, along with other GSMA-related events.
The GSMA has no plans to postpone MWC 2022. Instead, the GSMA views MWC 2022 as a "unifying event" that can bring countries together with people, industry and society as a whole to advance in the world of technology.