The embassy informed the LETA news agency Thursday that the concert will take place as part of an international tour, marking "70 years since the defeat of Nazism".
"We are astonished by the unhealthy uproar over an event, which, by its nature, is a 'cultural gathering'," said the embassy, adding that it is not involved in the organization of the concert, but is currently trying to deal with the brouhaha over the event in talks with the Latvian Foreign Ministry.
As reported, Lithuanian Culture Minister Sarunas Birutis responded to the decision of the Visaginas [Lithuania] Culture Center to cancel a planned appearance by the Alexander Ensemble by declaring that there is "no place in Lithuania for Moscow's divisive policies."
According to Russian mass media, the choir is set to perform in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova.
The viewpoint of Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics is negative, calling the Alexander Ensemble "provocative and unacceptable"
"It actively propagandizes the 'mighty' Soviet Army, which is incongruous with the history of the Baltic States, the annexation of Crimea, and the situation in Eastern Ukraine today," Rinkevics said via spokesman Martins Dregeris.
Another Foreign Ministry spokesman, Raimonds Jansons, said earlier this week that the content of the songs and dances to be performed would be checked to ensure there was no anti-Ukraine sentiment expressed.
The Ukrainian embassy in Riga backed the move in a Twitter comment to LSM.
If dance & song contains propaganda of annex of Crimea, we don't accept such approach https://t.co/PwqS029Nax #CrimeaIsUkraine via @LSM_eng
— UKR Embassy in LVA (@UKRinLatvia) October 27, 2015
