02:24Germany: 'Slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes' - Berlin condemns IOC recommendation allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutrals
The German Interior Ministry’s Deputy Head of Press Sonja Kock described the International Olympic Committee's recommendation, on giving Russian and Belarusian athletes 'neutral' status at sporting events, as a 'slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes', during a briefing in Berlin on Wednesday.
"The IOC's decision is a slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes. They deserve the solidarity of international sport," she said. "The least that Ukraine can expect is a clear stance. International sport must unequivocally condemn Russia's brutal war of aggression. This is only possible with complete exclusion of Russian athletes and pools of Russian athletes", Kock continued.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrea Sasse also said that the suspension of the EU-Russia visa facilitation agreement 'plays a role in this context'.
"In the course of this suspension, the EU Commission issued guidelines that are intended to ensure that applications are processed uniformly by all Schengen members. These guidelines also stipulate that security risks in the visa procedure are to be checked strictly, more strictly than before, and that visas should be issued more restrictively in general," Sasse said.
The IOC issued the recommendation for a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions on March 28, although clarified that no decision had been taken on allowing them to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov described the IOC’s latest move on 'neutral athlete status' as 'obvious discrimination' and a 'farce', adding that "basic principles of the Olympic Charter and the UN Charter are being flagrantly violated."
34 countries including France have called on the organisation to ban Russian and Belarusian competitors from next summer’s games. The IOC sanctioned both countries following the 2022 Ukraine conflict.
02:24The German Interior Ministry’s Deputy Head of Press Sonja Kock described the International Olympic Committee's recommendation, on giving Russian and Belarusian athletes 'neutral' status at sporting events, as a 'slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes', during a briefing in Berlin on Wednesday.
"The IOC's decision is a slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes. They deserve the solidarity of international sport," she said. "The least that Ukraine can expect is a clear stance. International sport must unequivocally condemn Russia's brutal war of aggression. This is only possible with complete exclusion of Russian athletes and pools of Russian athletes", Kock continued.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrea Sasse also said that the suspension of the EU-Russia visa facilitation agreement 'plays a role in this context'.
"In the course of this suspension, the EU Commission issued guidelines that are intended to ensure that applications are processed uniformly by all Schengen members. These guidelines also stipulate that security risks in the visa procedure are to be checked strictly, more strictly than before, and that visas should be issued more restrictively in general," Sasse said.
The IOC issued the recommendation for a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions on March 28, although clarified that no decision had been taken on allowing them to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov described the IOC’s latest move on 'neutral athlete status' as 'obvious discrimination' and a 'farce', adding that "basic principles of the Olympic Charter and the UN Charter are being flagrantly violated."
34 countries including France have called on the organisation to ban Russian and Belarusian competitors from next summer’s games. The IOC sanctioned both countries following the 2022 Ukraine conflict.