Hungarian Foreign Minister Condemns Politicization of Sports at UNESCO Conference

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto emphasized on October 31 that the international community must end discrimination in sports unrelated to political decisions. Speaking at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, he argued that sport should unite rather than divide the world and called for measures against discrimination in athletics. “No athlete can be held responsible for the decisions of political leaders, and no one can be forced to make political statements,” Szijjarto stated. He recalled historical examples, including the 1984 Olympic boycott led by the USSR, and warned against repeating such practices. The Hungarian government opposes suspending athletes due to their nations’ political choices. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reiterated that sport should avoid politicization, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Georgy Tikhy faced criticism for comments on a potential 2026 Olympics truce.