With the Winter Olympics set to begin on February 6 in Italy, there is a call for a ceasefire.
The President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, addressed all parties to the conflicts, demanding a "mutual ceasefire" during the sporting events, referencing the ancient principle of the Olympic truce.
“The Olympic truce demonstrates that even amidst disagreements, humanity can unite through sport,” Baerbock noted. She also urged all conflicting parties on the planet to show the will to agree on a genuine ceasefire during the Olympic truce.
Baerbock recalled the ancient Greek tradition of ekecheiria, which translates to "Olympic truce," and characterized it as a "sacred principle of the games."
According to the UN News Service, the General Assembly resolution requires countries to maintain a truce from the seventh day before the start of the Winter Olympics until the seventh day after the conclusion of the Winter Paralympics.
“Friendly competition helps us overcome disagreements,” she added.
Furthermore, Baerbock noted that the upcoming Olympic Games will be the most gender-balanced in history.
It is worth emphasizing that two athletes will represent Kyrgyzstan at the Olympic Games:
- Timur Shakirov — alpine skiing (coach Igor Borisov);
- Arthur Saparbekov — cross-country skiing (coach Alexander Levdansky).
They will participate in competitions in alpine skiing and cross-country skiing.
