The countries were excluded in connection with Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, but Kyrgyzstan had, prior to the ongoing congress in Hungary, motioned to invite the countries again.
Sweden, the other Nordic countries, and several European countries were strongly opposed to the proposal.
The content has created anxiety as one could not know how strong the forces were to abolish or mitigate the sanctions. Now we know that they were small and from already "known" countries, says Håkan Jalling, chairman of the Swedish Chess Federation, to TT.
Fide launched a type of compromise on the last day, where the sanctions remain, but children and disabled individuals from Russia will be allowed to participate in competitions. The proposal received 66 votes and thus won the vote. 21 countries voted in favor of letting Russia and Belarus in – including Iran, Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan.
