(Reuters) – Delegations from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to attend the Association of National Olympic Committees’ (ANOC) General Assembly, the organisation’s Executive Council said in a statement on Tuesday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued guidance to sports governing bodies in February to remove Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus has been used as a staging ground for the invasion, which Russia calls a “special military operation”.
The ANOC Executive Council said it will continue to follow the recommendations of the IOC, which recognises Russia and Belarus among its 204 NOCs and has not sanctioned either committee or their elected officials.
“The NOCs of Russia and Belarus are still recognised by the IOC and are therefore entitled to attend the ANOC General Assembly as any other recognised NOC,” the statement read.
“ANOC shares the NOCs’ grave concerns regarding the war in Ukraine and stands in solidarity with the Olympic community in Ukraine.”
The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) said on Monday it would not participate in the General Assembly, which runs from Wednesday to Friday in South Korean capital Seoul, if Russia and Belarus attended.
The LOK and the NOCs of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway and Sweden appealed in a letter to acting ANOC president Robin Mitchell to reconsider the involvement of Russia and Belarus at the General Assembly.
“The invasion of Ukraine constitutes a breach of international law, this has created an extraordinary dangerous situation with possible global impacts,” the letter read.
“In a situation where we see a dangerously escalating military situation in Ukraine, with dire humanitarian consequences, we ask the ANOC Executive Council to reconsider whether officials from the Russian Olympic Committee and Belarusian Olympic Committee shall be able to take part in the upcoming General Assembly in Seoul.”
Last month, the head of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said the IOC was considering allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes back in international competition.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
