A Reykjavík city councilperson has called the mayor’s recent proposal to sever ties with Moscow over anti-gay legislation in Russia “naive”.
As reported, last week Reykjavík mayor Jón Gnarr proposed the split, with the minutes of a city council meeting saying in part, “In light of the developments that have taken place in recent years in matters of gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Russia, the Human Rights Office and the Mayor’s Office have entrusted the deputy mayor to propose amendments to the existing agreement between the two cities or terminate it all together following consultation with the Foreign Ministry.”
Not everyone is on board with the proposal, though, Morgunblaðið reports. Independence Party city councilperson Júlíus Vífill Ingvarsson objected to the decision.
“It is naive to contend that relations with other peoples on the international stage means some sort of agreement with their human rights policy,” he said, contending that doing business with human rights abusers – such as China – is not the same as approving of their human rights records. Rather, Júlíus recommends “inviting [Russian members of the LGBT community] to Iceland, to take part in Gay Pride here.”
The mayor has not commented on the counter-proposal at the time of this writing.
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