Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matitin recently stated that Russia should not “boycott” the Olympic Games in Paris starting this summer.

Despite restrictions imposed on his athletes’ participation in response to the attack on Ukraine, Matitin says Russia should not “close down” when it comes to the Paris Olympics, AFP reported.

“We should not turn back, close, boycott this movement,” the minister said during the meeting, referring to the Olympic Games in the capital of France, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

“We must, as far as possible, preserve the possibility of dialogue and participation in competition,” Matitsin added.

In early December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympics (July 26 – August 11), on the condition that they compete under a neutral flag, only in individual competitions, and not in team competitions. , reports Agerpres.

One of the conditions for participation is that the athletes in question did not support Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Russia, which has repeatedly condemned these criteria, which it considers “humiliating” and “Russophobic”, officially did not recommend its athletes to go to Paris.

Minister Oleg Matitin said that he is waiting for the next meeting of the IOC on March 18 and 19, at which, according to the media, the question of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will be decided. addressed

“We will see what the final decision of the International Olympic Committee will be, but for now the position is that there will be no new recommendations and rules,” the Russian official emphasized.

As a reminder, the Olympic Games in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024.