Berlin (DPA)
Austria announced that it will not send any prominent politicians to attend the Winter Olympics, which are scheduled in the Chinese capital, Beijing, next February, but the new Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, confirmed that this is due to the Corona virus pandemic and not for any diplomatic reasons.
“This is not a diplomatic protest or a boycott, but only because the requirements for the prevention of Covid in China are very high,” Nehamer said in statements to the newspaper “Welt” today, Tuesday.
In light of the restrictions in place in China, politicians will not be able to meet with their country’s athletes during the Olympics period scheduled between February 4 and 20, which makes traveling from all over the world only to talk to athletes via video communication is illogical, according to some.
“Then I would like to meet personally with our athletes in Vienna,” Nehamer said, stressing that Austria “is against the politicization of the Olympics.”
The United States, Canada, Britain, New Zealand and Australia had announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, although the athletes of those countries will participate in the tournament normally.
South Korea and France announced not to join the boycott list, while Germany has not taken its decision yet, according to what the new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said a few days ago.
However, German Foreign Minister Annalina Birbock expressed opposition to the use of the Olympic Games for political purposes, and said in statements to the ZDF channel on Sunday that the Olympics constitute a “celebration of sports, as athletes prepare for it for years, sometimes for half their lives,” and therefore it is not assumed to be used this way.
Beijing has faced criticism over allegations of human rights abuses in its treatment of Uighurs and Tibetans, its suppression of the democratic movement in Hong Kong and its threats to Taiwan.
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