(15 May 2023)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium - 15 May 2023
1. Wide exterior of European Council headquarters
2. Exterior with sign for Swedish Presidency of Council of European Union
3. EU and Swedish flags
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jakob Forssmed, Swedish Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health:
“The European Union countries have already put in four statements, along with like-minded countries, where we call for the European... for the International Olympic Committee to reconsider its position. And we also put into question the idea that the Russian athletes could, in fact, play neutral when they are government sponsored and in many cases also employed by the army. So there are several issues here that really needs to be addressed.”
5. Various of EU flags
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jakob Forssmed, Swedish Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health:
(Question off-camera: Shouldn't they use the threat of a collective boycott to be heard?)
“We're not at a boycott. We're not we're not there. This is not on the table. But I do think that the International Committee, Olympic Committee, they really risk a trust issue here if they are not listening and also making sure that no Russian athletes can represent Russia in any way at the Olympics.”
7. Tilt down of EU and Swedish flags
STORYLINE:
The European Union's presidency urged the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from next year's Paris Games, yet said on Monday a boycott by the 27-nation bloc was not on the table.
Sweden's minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed said the IOC should reconsider its position to let Russian and Belarusian athletes compete as neutrals in international sport despite the war in Ukraine.
Sweden holds the EU’s powerful presidency until July.
Carrying the role allows a member nation to help set the EU’s tone and the 27-nation bloc's agenda.
Asked whether EU nations should use the threat of a collective boycott to pressure the IOC to backpedal, Forssmed said that option was not being discussed right now.
“We’re not there,” he said on the margins of a gathering of sports ministers in Brussels.
“But I do think that the International Olympic Committee, they really risk a trust issue here if they are not listening, and also making sure that no Russian athletes can represent Russia in any way at the Olympics.”
The IOC favours allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutral athletes without national symbols as qualifying ramps up for next year’s Olympics.
The IOC - which last year recommended excluding Russian competitors on security grounds but now argues that would be discriminatory - has left the final decision to the governing bodies in each sport.
Eligibility should be limited to athletes and officials who have not actively supported the war, nor have ties to the military and state security agencies.
No clear definitions for eligibility were yet stated.
Some of the Russian athletes who competed at the judo world championships earlier this month had previously been listed in statements by the Russian Defense Ministry or the Central Sports Club of the Army, known as CSKA, as holding military ranks.
Although a large majority of EU countries are opposing Russian and Belarusian competing in Paris, finding a unanimous voice has been so far impossible.
Hungary, which has vocally opposed EU sanctions against Moscow arguing they were doing more damage to European economies than to Russia, is not supporting a ban.
AP video by Mark Carlson
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