The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

acting pursuant to the provisions of Resolution No XIV-930 of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 February 2022 on the Aggression of Russia and Belarus against Ukraine, Resolution No XIV-941 of 17 March 2022 on Active Measures to Ensure the Security of the Civilian Population and Critical Infrastructure in Ukraine, Resolution No XIV-1010 of 12 April 2022 on Condemning the Russian Federation’s Aggression and War Crimes in Ukraine, Resolution No XIV-1070 of 10 May 2022 on the Recognition of the Actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine as Genocide and the Establishment of a Special International Criminal Tribunal to Investigate the Crime of Russian Aggression, and Resolution No XIV-1502 of 8 November 2022 on the Condemnation of the Sexual Crimes Committed in Ukraine by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Prosecution of Perpetrators and Assistance to Victims,

strongly condemning the large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, genocide, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression and war crimes being perpetrated against sovereign Ukraine and its people by the Russian Federation, with the complicity of the Republic of Belarus, which constitute a gross violation of the norms of international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as of bilateral and multilateral agreements and which threaten to the security and stability of Europe and the world, also demanding to ensure full accountability of Russia and Belarus,

expressing full support for Ukraine fighting for its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity and support for Ukraine’s defenders and citizens in their struggle against the Russian Federation, which has launched the unprovoked and illegal war,

stating that the unprovoked and unjustifiable war of Russia against Ukraine, to which the Belarusian regime is contributing, is disgusting and constitutes a gross violation of international commitments to peace, human rights and freedoms, which are also at the core of international sport,

drawing attention to the fact that numerous professional Ukrainian athletes, including members of the Ukrainian Olympic Team, have been fighting in the ranks of Ukrainian defenders since the first days of war,

following one of the fundamental principles of Olympism, as enshrined in the Olympic Charter, namely to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity,

noting the recommendation made by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in its statement of 28 February 2022: “In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants, the IOC EB recommends that International Sports Federations and sports event organizers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions”,

condemning the deafening silence of the majority of Russian and Belarusian athletes over the military aggression perpetrated by their states against Ukraine and its people, as well as over the deliberate and systematic commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity,

being convinced that the victories of Russian or Belarusian athletes, even if achieved under a neutral flag, will be used for war and hate propaganda by the criminal regimes that run their states and as ‘proof’ that no real sanctions are in place and that the international situation is supposedly normalizing,

noting that Russia and Belarus use their athletes’ participation and victories in all international competitions for propaganda purposes to legitimize their regimes,

strongly supporting the address delivered by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to the President of the Republic of France, Emmanuel Macron, on 29 January 2023 regarding the need to prevent Russia from taking advantage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for propaganda of aggression,

considering the proposals to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games or other international competitions under a neutral flag to be neither morally nor legally acceptable, as this would give the representatives of the country committing war crimes in Ukraine a substantial and non-sporting advantage at a time when the athletes of Ukraine, which is being terrorized by the criminal actions of Russia and its collaborator Belarus, are forced to defend their Homeland on the battlefield, do not have the opportunity to properly prepare for competitions or represent their country in them, or are even killed in defending their freedom, while the majority of Ukrainian sports facilities have been destroyed by Russian forces,

being of an opinion that the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes from all forms of participation in the Olympic Games and other international competitions must become an integral part of the democratic world’s condemnation, isolation and restrictive measures against the Russian and Belarusian regimes,

invites the IOC Executive Board to remain consistent and committed to the principles and values of Olympism and to urge once again all international sports federations to adhere to the principles set out in the statement of 28 February 2022, and all international sports federations to take these principles into account;

urges that the principles set out in the statement of the IOC Executive Board of 28 February 2022 to be extended to the Olympic Games without any reservations or further interpretations;

appeals to the parliaments of all countries around the world to express their clear and strong opposition to any proposals, initiatives, projects and any other actions aimed at allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials to take part in the Olympic Games or any other international competition, including under a neutral flag;

advocates that restrictions on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in the Olympic Games or any other international competition should be maintained until such time as Russia ends its military aggression against Ukraine, withdraws its forces from within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine’s territory, ensures accountability for the committed crime of aggression and war crimes, makes full reparation for the damage inflicted on Ukraine, and cooperation with Russia and Belarus under the rules-based international order becomes possible again;

calls on the international sports community to continue to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, including by supporting the continuation and restoration of Ukrainian sport.

Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen