MINSK, 19 January (BelTA) – It was with regret that the Kremlin learned the news about the IIHF decision to strip Belarus off the right to host the 2021 IIHF World Championship, Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told the media, TASS reports.
“Of course, we might only regret that they had to make such a decision,” said Dmitry Peskov.
For its part, Russia maintains constructive relations with the IIHF. “We intend to continue maintaining and further developing these relations,” he stressed.
When asked whether Russia will offer the IIHF to host the championship, Dmitry Peskov said that the International Ice Hockey Federation has made no such initiatives so far. “After all, this is the organization that makes decisions,” he added.
The IIHF announced on 18 January that it had removed the 2021 IIHF World Championship co-hosting bid of Belarus and Latvia.
It was decided to move the 2021 IIHF World Championship from Minsk due to safety reasons, reads the statement of the IIHF. The IIHF Council will consider the status of Latvia as a co-host, and will also evaluate the possibility of moving to a single-venue format.
The 2021 IIHF World Championship was due to take place in Minsk and Riga on 21 May-6 June.
Belarus will receive compensation for being stripped off the right to host the championship. This is envisaged in the contract with the IIHF. The exact amount of compensation has not yet been determined.
