MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – Belarus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei commented on the situation around the Russian Olympic team following the IOC decision to ban Russia from the games in an interview to the Current Time TV channel, BelTA informs.
The minister stressed that Belarus' position is univocal: sport cannot be mixed with politics. “If there are any violations of anti-doping rules, it means you need to punish certain athletes and, maybe, certain officials who are guilty of these violations. To ban the country from this process, the Olympic movement is inadmissible. Since the ancient times, the times of ancient Greece any wars were stopped during the Olympic Games and the politics had nothing to do with the games,” Vladimir Makei noted.
“We believe that every country should be provided with the opportunity to take part in the Olympic Games, taking the corresponding measures against the athletes and, maybe, officials who have violated the Olympic rules,” added the Belarusian minister.
According to Vladimir Makei, today unfortunately political aspects dominate and have an influence, including on the Olympic movement. “We believe that by no means the Olympic movement should be politicized,” the minister said.