Former SCO Secretary-General calls for an end to political boycotts of Beijing Winter Olympics

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics will be a fabulous international sporting event, former Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General, Vladimir Imamovich Norov, stated during a press conference in Beijing on December 21, 2021.

“During the first half of this year (2021), staff from SCO member states and myself, along with the ambassadors of SCO member states to China visited the Winter Olympic venues. We saw that the preparations for the event are to the highest standards,” Norov said.

“Recently, there have been some voices around the world attempting to politicize the Winter Olympics, and provoking a so-called ‘diplomatic boycott,’ he said, adding that “The so-called ‘diplomatic boycott’ by some countries runs counter to the Olympic spirit. The ‘Olympic Charter’ clearly stipulates the principle of political neutrality, so as to avoid politicizing the sporting event, which harms the development of sports in each country and the interests of athletes from all countries.”