A participation of Russian athletes in Paris, if it were to be decided by the international federations, would take place "under a strict regime of neutrality, without banner or Russian flag, without anthem," recalled the minister, adding that President Emmanuel Macron would speak on the subject in the summer.
"All this is a step that does not prejudge in any way what we will do" for the Paris Olympics, added, during a trip to Rosny-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis), Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, the first French official to speak on the subject since the recommendation issued Tuesday by the IOC.
"It is the IOC that has the last word, it is the IOC that sets the conditions for the participation of both Olympic and Paralympic athletes," Oudéa-Castéra said.
"On the other hand, it is obvious that the head of state of the host country will have a voice that will be listened to in this reflection that the IOC will lead," she stressed.
The Minister of Sports said she was continuing her exchanges with her "counterparts from different countries". "We are progressing in deciphering what can be done best," she continued, on the sidelines at the inauguration of a skatepark as part of the "5,000 sports fields" plan.
The IOC on Tuesday recommended the reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions, under a neutral banner and "in an individual capacity", for those who did not actively support the war in Ukraine.
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 are threatening to boycott in the event of a Russian presence, IOC President Thomas Bach has announced.
© 2023 AFP