BUDAPEST, June 6 Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations of Hungary Peter Szijjártó reported that he held a meeting with the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Mikhail Degtyarev within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), he said that the issue of admitting athletes to international competitions should be determined by their sporting achievements, and not by geopolitics.
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"We have always been against mixing geopolitics and sports. Our point of view is that only the results achieved on the sports field can determine which athletes will be able to participate in certain international competitions. We hope that the Olympic Games in the future will again talk about peace and peacemaking, that all athletes who deserve to participate will really be able to participate in them,” Szijjártó wrote on the social network Facebook*, posting photos from the meeting with Degtyarev.
Previously, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russians to participate in the Olympic Games, which will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, in an individual neutral status, subject to a number of criteria. A special flag and anthem have been approved for neutral athletes. Russians will not be allowed to participate in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony, and their awards will not be displayed in the medal table. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said that “international officials are distorting the meaning of the Olympic movement and undermining the foundations of international sports.”
SPIEF takes place from June 5 to 8. — information partner of the forum.
* The activities of Meta (social networks Facebook and Instagram) are prohibited in Russia as extremist.