MOSCOW, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Monday notified the Bureau International des Expositions, World Expo's organizing body, of its decision to voluntarily withdraw Moscow's candidacy for the right to host the World Expo 2030.

"We are forced to state that the international exhibition movement turned out to be another victim of the large-scale anti-Russian campaign launched by the collective West to squeeze our country out of all areas of cooperation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Five countries had submitted competing candidatures to organize the event, namely Russia, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia.