Venice will close the Russian Pavilion at this year's Biennale if Moscow uses it for propaganda, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Thursday.

The Venice Biennale's decision to allow Russia to have a pavilion this year is highly controversial.
    The European Commission last week condemned the decision, saying it put EU funding for the event at risk, while Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has called on the Biennale to revoke the invitation to the Russians.
    "If the Russian government were to carry out propaganda, we would be the first to close the Pavilion," Brugnaro said at the presentation of the renovation of the central pavilion, adding that he and Giuli had "differing visions.
    "I am pro-Ukrainian, we have twinned Venice with Odessa, and Russia is the aggressor, but we are not at war with the Russian people, and art is open," he continued.
    "We have always been an open, democratic city.

We owe respect to people, and we must continue along the path of diplomacy and openness, because that's how peace is created".
   

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