The Russian Fencing Federation (FFR) has told Russia’s official state news agency TASS that a motion to expel the two countries as EFC members was turned down following a vote at the organisation’s Ordinary Congress in Antalya in Turkey.

It has been reported that the proposal had been tabled by the National Federations of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden.

insidethegames has contacted the EFC for comment.

Prior to the meeting, FFR President IIgar Mammadov described the move by nations to exclude Russia as "unfair".

Russian and Belarusian fencers have been banned from competing in EFC and International Fencing Federation (FIE) events in response to Russia’s invasion, aided by Belarus, of Ukraine.

Pozdnyakov, who is head of the Russian Olympic Committee, was also removed as the President of the EFC following a vote at an Extraordinary Congress last month.

The meeting was attended by 37 of the EFC’s 42 National Federations, which saw 23 vote in favour of removing Pozdnyakov while 10 voted against and four abstained.

It was staged after the EFC Executive Committee held a unanimous vote of no confidence in Pozdnyakov in March, expressing concern about a "conflict of interest" in relation to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, as well as "the arbitration case against the FIE and EFC raised by the Russian Fencing Federation."

Secretary general Jacek Slupski of Poland is leading the EFC until a permanent replacement is elected.

Speaking at yesterday’s Ordinary Congress, Slupski acknowledged the departure of "our esteemed friend" Pozdnyakov and wished him "the best of luck in managing his National Olympic Committee during these trying times."

Slupski also confirmed plans to stage an Extraordinary Congress at the end of September or early October to elect a new President with the date yet to be decided.

When addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Slupski said: "Athletes are suffering from the decisions made by their Governments… but this does not discharge International Federations from making difficult decisions."

Pozdnyakov, who has criticised sporting sanctions against Russia and Belarus, has previously hit out at a "culture of cancellation of everything Russian" on Telegram after he lost his role.

According to the United Nations, at least 4,509 citizens have been killed since the launch of what Moscow describes as a "special military operation", and more than 7.7 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine.

Slupski urged members at the Congress to "focus on fencing instead of politics" as he confirmed that the European Fencing Championships will be held in Basel in Switzerland in 2024 and Genoa in Italy in 2025.

Antalya is currently hosting this year’s edition which started yesterday and is due to conclude on June 22.

"Fencing is our DNA and the development of it is our true mission," said Slupski.

"I am excited that especially now, despite the difficulties we have been facing and continue to face, we are about to start a great fencing event: the Senior European Championships."

The EFC Congress also approved the organisation's annual report for 2021, the budget for the next financial period and changes to statutes and rules.