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Polish President happy about Russia, Belarus banned from European Games

Polish President Andrzej Duda thanked representatives of the European Olympic Committee for not allowing Russia and Belarus to take part in the tournament. “Russia is the aggressor that caused the war in Ukraine, and the Belarusian regime is aiding Russia,” Duda said during his official visit to Rome on Monday.

President Duda, who is on a one-day visit to Italy together with Polish athletes, took part in the Flame of Peace handover ceremony in relation to the European Olympic Games being held from June 21 to July 2 in Poland.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the president of the European Olympic Committee for excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus (…) I say this as the president of the host country, but also of the country where today there are about 2 m. refugees from Ukraine,” Duda said.

President @AndrzejDuda:

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the president @EOCmedia for excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus (…) I say this as the president of the host country, but also of the country where today there are about 2 m. refugees from Ukraine"

— European Games 2023 (@eg2023en) April 3, 2023

The president stressed at the ceremony how “in 80 days, after traveling more than 1,500 kilometers, this flame will warm the hearts of more than 7,000 athletes from all over Europe to realize sports competition in the world’s largest sporting event in 2023, the European Games.”

Yes!

The Flame of Peace is burning for Poland!#EuropeanGames pic.twitter.com/b2mZgTJf2p

— European Games 2023 (@eg2023en) April 3, 2023

“We are very moved and extremely proud that it is here in Poland, in our cities, in Kraków (…) that this great sporting event, the third in the history of our continent, will take place,” he said. The president stressed how for Poles, this will be the biggest sports event held since the EURO 2012 football tournament.

Duda gave reference to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s planned visit to Poland on Wednesday saying that “in two days I will meet with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy I’m happy to be able to tell him that the Games of Peace and Tranquility are ahead of us. Where we won’t have to pretend that everything is fine,” Duda pointed out.

"In two days I will meet with the president of Ukraine @ZelenskyyUa. I'm happy to be able to tell him that the Games of Peace and Tranquility are ahead of us. Where we won't have to pretend that everything is fine″.

— European Games 2023 (@eg2023en) April 3, 2023

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