IOC President meets three European Heads of State
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach met with three European Heads of State this weekend: French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin. All three are in Tokyo for the Olympic Games, which started this Friday with a unique Opening Ceremony that all of them attended.
The Games in Tokyo were one of the topics of discussion and are of particular interest for President Macron. Paris will be the host of the next Games in 2024 and will receive the Olympic flag at the Closing Ceremony in Tokyo.
In his discussions, the IOC President emphasised the mission of the Olympic Games to bring the whole world together in peaceful competition. The Games have a unifying power – with 205 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team taking part in Tokyo. In order to achieve this mission and to ensure the universality of the Games, the IOC and the Games must be politically neutral. President Bach asked each of the three leaders for their support for this mission of the IOC and the Olympic Games.
He also discussed the European Sport Model, which is values and solidarity based and plays a positive role in communities for broader social, educational and health outcomes.