Joint statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sport
07 March 2024 News
In connection with the forthcoming European Taekwondo Pre-Olympic Qualification Tournament to be held in Bulgaria on 9-11 March 2024 and the participation of athletes from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in the qualification tournament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Bulgaria inform the following:
We emphasize the firm and consistent position of the Republic of Bulgaria in condemning the unprovoked and unjustified military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, supported by Belarus, as well as our country's firm and consistent support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
We also note that in the current geopolitical situation all possible means of political propaganda and hybrid disinformation are being used, and in this respect sport is no exception.
The government of Bulgaria has consistently followed the unified approach of the European Union and its member states towards Russia and Belarus since the beginning of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. This approach is characterised by the minimisation and/or suspension of cooperation and contacts with Russia and Belarus at bilateral and multilateral level, as well as the application of restrictive measures against these two countries.
At the same time, there are currently no restrictive measures imposed by the European Union on Russia and Belarus in the field of sport. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) only allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international sports competitions as ‘neutral’ athletes who cannot represent their countries, and provided that the athletes do not take personal positions in support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports received a note from the Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia, appealing for the non-participation in the above-mentioned competition of four athletes from Russia and Belarus in view of their open support of Russia's war against Ukraine.
In connection with the above, we emphasize that the decision on the possible admission or non-admission of specific athletes to participate in the pre-Olympic European qualification tournament in taekwondo in Bulgaria is the competence of the World Taekwondo Federation. At the same time, we recommend not to allow the participation of the athletes mentioned in the note of the Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia.