St. Petersburg International Meeting Emphasizes Keeping Sports Away from Politics

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): In this meeting, which was held with the presence of the Ministers of Sports, the Heads of Olympic Committees and sports officials from a number of countries, the participants discussed and exchanged views on the challenges facing the Olympic Movement, the development of sports cooperation and ways to expand relations between sports institutions of different countries.

During this meeting, the participants emphasized the principle of neutrality of sports and called for sports activities and international competitions to be kept away from political issues and disputes. They also called on the International Olympic Committee to provide equal opportunities for the world's athletes in international and Olympic competitions, taking into account the conditions of all countries.

The participants also thanked the Russian organizers of the meeting and emphasized the importance of holding such programs in strengthening sports diplomacy, exchanging experiences and expanding joint cooperation between countries.

The meeting was held at a time when in recent years the issue of the impact of political tensions on sports competitions and the presence of athletes from some countries in international arenas has become one of the important topics in world sports circles. Many sports institutions and country officials believe that sports should be used as a tool to bring nations closer, promote peace and strengthen international cooperation and should be protected from being influenced by political conflicts.