The upcoming Olympics promises to be unforgettable. The headlines of newspapers and websites are full of fresh news and provide valuable information about the arrival of delegations to the gala event. And who will not come to the Olympics, and what prerequisites are there to say so?
First of all, it should be noted that the President of the United States Barack Obama will not attend the Olympics, as he himself says, due to the tight schedule.
British writer and actor Stephen Fry said that he was not going to come to Russia because of the current laws on homosexuality. For the same reason, American stars Cher and Lady Gaga and playwright Harvey Firstein refused to travel. Even the vice-president of the European Commission, Viviane Reading, expressed his dissatisfaction with the adopted law.
Boycott of Europe
"Harsh" Russian laws forced German President Joachim Gauck to refuse the trip. Der Spiegel draws attention to his words. It turns out that he cannot come to a country where human rights are violated.
French President François Hollande is likely not to come to the Sochi Olympics either. On the iTELE TV channel there was news that the French president did not even plan to come. Attendance at international sporting events is not part of his work schedule.
The Georgian government will also not be at the Olympics. Only athletes and the leadership of the Olympic team will come.
The 9th President of Poland, Bronislaw Komorowski, will not attend the main event of 2014 either. On principle, he does not attend sports events that take place outside of his country.
The attitude of the Baltic states to the upcoming event
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite does not see the need to attend this important event for Russia. Estonian President Ilves Toomas Hendrik says that urgent matters do not allow him to come to the Olympics. But Andris Berzins, the President of Latvia, unlike his neighbors, is preparing for the trip and even encourages others not to politicize the sporting event.
European politicians at first motivated their refusal to travel by the fact that the rights of people are constantly being violated in Russia, and then hinted at the political persecution of the opposition. There is nothing left to do but accept the thinking of Western politicians as it is.
Someone is already ready for the visit. Someone will not be able to come to the games in Sochi due to the work schedule. Others like to promote the boycott mood. But, probably, many will agree that the Olympic Games should bring a sense of peace and friendship, and not divide people into social strata. Be that as it may, the Olympics will begin soon and we hope that everyone will experience the joy of the event!
