NOC head Viktar Lukashenka has held his first talks with the new president of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry.
According to the NOC press service, Lukashenka complained about the restrictions imposed on Belarusian athletes.
“The restrictions have affected not only top-level athletes but also young competitors who are only beginning their path in big sport,” the press service quoted him as saying.
He also stressed that sport should remain outside politics and expressed hope that full participation of Belarusian athletes in international competitions would become possible in the near future with the support of the IOC president.
According to the Belarusian NOC press service, Kirsty Coventry described her conversation with Viktar Lukashenka as good and assured that the IOC would support Belarusian athletes.
“The sides noted the constructive and stable nature of the dialogue, expressing their intention to continue regular negotiations and jointly find solutions to all relevant issues,” the press service said.
The International Olympic Committee has not yet officially reported on the conversation.
Belarusian athletes’ participation in international competitions was significantly restricted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, an attack carried out in part from Belarusian territory.