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Olympic rings in Paris: The games will take place here in 2024
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The European Parliament has condemned the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) intention to allow some athletes from Russia and Belarus to qualify for the Paris 2024 games.
In a statement on January 25, the IOC Executive Committee raised the possibility of paving the way for athletes from Russia and Belarus to return to international competitions, despite the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
The members of the European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday with 444 votes in favour, 26 against and 37 abstentions.
In this, the parliamentarians explain that the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes under neutral flags "contradicts the complex isolation of these countries and will be used by both regimes for propaganda purposes".
EU Parliament calls for pressure on IOC
The EU Parliament calls on the 27 EU countries and the international community to put pressure on the IOC to back down from its intention.
This is "an embarrassment for the international sports world".
The IOC had argued that excluding Russia and its ally Belarus from the Paris Olympics was discriminatory.
As qualifying competitions have already started in many sports, the IOC wants Russians and Belarusians to compete neutrally with no national symbols.
The IOC has been criticized for this attitude.
The Ukraine, for example, reacted with a boycott threat, which IOC President Thomas Bach sharply condemned in a letter to the Ukrainian Olympic Committee.
Interior Ministry sees “no reason” to allow Russians and Belarusians
The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) was a long time coming with its stance on the issue, but after a virtual sports summit with government representatives from more than 30 nations a few days ago, Berlin is certain about the "Russia question": "It In our view, there is no reason to invite Russian and Belarusian sport to return to competitions," a BMI spokesman told the sports information service on request.
»The Ukrainian athletes must continue to have the full solidarity and support of the international sports community.
The efforts of the IOC to resume the Russian and Belarusian athletes are the wrong way, "explained the Federal Ministry responsible for sport.
Representatives from Europe, North America, East Asia and Oceania exchanged views on the topic.
According to statements made by various participants, it became clear that the IOC concept was generally negative.
British Culture Secretary for Sport Lucy Frazer, who coordinated the meeting, tweeted that she had "made the British position very clear: as long as Putin continues his barbaric war, Russia and Belarus must not be represented at the Olympics."
ptz/AP