FM: It is thanks to Hungary that the UN General Assembly declared May 19 World Fair Play Day
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said it is thanks to Hungary that the UN General Assembly has unanimously declared May 19 World Fair Play Day. The minister noted that the International Fair Play Committee is holding its gala in Budapest on Monday.
'It's no exaggeration to say that Hungary has notched up a global achievement by having the UN General Assembly unanimously declare May 19 World Fair Play Day,' the foreign minister said, noting that the initiative was the government's.
'This, despite the division of the world into blocs,' he said. 'Talking the language of sport, we have managed to bring a little unity into world politics,' he added.
Sports ministers from various countries are taking part, including Serbian sports minister Zoran Gajic and Russia's Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister Szijjártó said, noting that he would meet them in the afternoon.
Olympic champion Daniel Gyurta, head of the ministry's sports diplomacy department, was elected to the council of the International Fair Play Committee on Monday, he added.
Minister Szijjártó said mixing sports and geopolitics was 'damaging' and to be avoided, adding that competitions were only total if representatives of all nations were permitted to compete.
Russian and Belarusian competitors were in Budapest last year for the swimming world championships short-course events. 'We hope that this year's judo world championships will be no different,' he added.
In a speech at the International Fair Play Committee's World Fair Play Awards gala, Minister Szijjártó said that despite the 'encouraging' talks between the United States and Russia, efforts were still being made to divide the world into blocs again.
'We Hungarians are fighting against the re-emergence of blocs,' Szijjarto said, according to a ministry statement. 'And we believe that one of the best means for this is sports. The world of sports is our best ally in this struggle.'
Hungary, he said, wanted to see a return to the grounds of mutual respect in international politics, adding that sports could help steer the world from a division into blocs towards fair cooperation.
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