Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the governments of 34 countries, including host France, urged Russia and Belarus to ban their participation in the Olympics.
According to foreign media such as Politico on the 20th (local time), 34 countries, including the United States, Germany, Britain, and France, including Korea, issued a statement to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to oppose Russia and Belarus’ participation in the Olympics as neutral countries. stated its position.
The IOC has opened the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympics as neutral countries.
The 34 countries said, “We do not agree to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return unless the fundamental issues and the lack of clarity and detail on ‘neutrality’ are addressed.” intertwined,” he said.
“The strong link between the Russian athletes and the Russian army is also an obvious concern,” he added.
“Our collective claim is by no means simply discrimination based on nationality,” he said. “Such strong concerns need to be addressed by the IOC.”
“Noting the position of the IOC that no final decision has been made, we strongly urge the IOC to address the questions raised and reconsider accordingly.”
The statement also added, “noting that it is up to Russia and Belarus to end the war they started, thus paving the way for the full return of athletes to the international sporting community.”
Last month, the IOC said it would look for a way to allow athletes from these countries to participate in the Olympics as a member of a neutral country, while maintaining sanctions such as not allowing international competitions in Russia and Belarus.
In response, Ukraine threatened to boycott the Games if the IOC approved Russia’s return, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the IOC for making the decision.
But earlier this month, the IOC, citing the advice of UN human rights experts, said banning athletes on the basis of passports would constitute discrimination.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.