But the organisation's executive board will decide "at the appropriate time" whether to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries threaten to boycott in the event of a Russian presence, IOC President Thomas Bach told a press conference.

Pressed for weeks to clarify its position, the Olympic body had announced last December "exploring ways" to bring the banned back into the fold of world sport, after recommending their exclusion at the end of February 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, with the support of neighboring Belarus.

The IOC, after four months of consultations with the entire Olympic world, has chosen to leave to the international federations and competition organizers the primary responsibility of inviting or not Russian and Belarusian athletes, contenting itself with "recommendations" to "harmonize their approach".

The executive of the body thus suggests maintaining the exclusion of all Russian and Belarusian teams and limiting the return to competition to athletes "holding a Russian or Belarusian passport" provided that they compete "individually" and under a neutral banner, that they have "not actively supported the war in Ukraine" and are not under contract with the Russian army or the security services.

While the qualifications for the 2024 Olympics have already begun in some disciplines, the IOC did not address on Tuesday the issue of Russian and Belarusian participation in the next Games, explosive in view of the threats of boycott.

The Olympic organization will decide "at the appropriate time, at its sole discretion, and without being bound by the results of qualifying competitions for the Olympics," Bach said.

© 2023 AFP