foreign Minister

BERLIN (DPA) – Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Barbock will not travel to Beijing for the Winter Olympics in February.

“I’m a big sports fan, but I certainly won’t be going to the Olympics at this point – which was not usual for foreign ministers in the past,” said the Green politician from the German Press Agency. But it is his personal decision. A common line is currently being sought with EU partners on the question of a diplomatic boycott of the Games.

The United States announced weeks ago that it would not send any official representatives to the Games in China. Australia, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand followed suit. Background, among other things, the human rights situation in the most populous country in the world. The leadership in Beijing has been criticized for its treatment of minorities such as Uighurs and Tibetans, but also for its suppression of the democracy movement in Hong Kong or its threats against Taiwan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the political boycott of the Winter Olympics as unacceptable. “This is an unacceptable and wrong decision,” he said at his big annual news conference shortly before Christmas. “We have always been against the politicization of sport.” The Kremlin chief plans to travel to Beijing in February for the opening of the Games.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 211229-99-529417 / 2