Six countries have issued a statement against the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions. The document was published on the Inside the Games portal.
The declaration was signed by the sports ministers of the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Poland. He says that at the moment the issue of the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes is being discussed.
Representatives of the aforementioned countries stated that “the position that prevents Russia and Belarus from participating in any form of international tournaments must be defended”.
“Due to our historical experience, we deeply believe that the relaxation of the ban imposed one year ago would be a false signal. Now, more than ever, the Ukrainian sports community deserves unified support.
When we received the IOC statement of 25 January, which included provisions opening the possibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes returning to international sports arenas, including participation in the next Olympic Games, we were met with surprise and outrage.
Given what happened, we find the IOC’s proposal appalling,” the document states.
Recall that on January 25, the IOC announced that it is considering the possibility of admitting Russian athletes, who do not support the conduct of a special operation on the territory of Ukraine, to international competitions in a neutral status.
IOC President Thomas Bach urged the governments of the countries not to interfere in the issue of the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions.
Former Deputy Dmitry Svishchev accepted The shortcomings of Russia in communication with the IOC.