Touted as an alternative to Eurovision, the event unites dozens of participants from Latin America, Africa, and Asia Singers from 23 nations have gathered in Moscow for the Intervision international music festival. The event is aimed at becoming a “universal platform for dialogue between civilizations based on the mutual enrichment of national histories and traditions,” according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia was excluded from Eurovision due to tensions with the EU over the Ukraine conflict. It now seeks to provide an alternative based on “universal values,” President Vladimir Putin has said. “Traditional values are already fading into the background... It is time to bring them back to the international agenda,” he stated earlier this month. The song contest includes performers from Latin America, Africa, and Asia.