Andrey Sibiga regarding the ban on the entry of Russian and Belarusian athletes to Norway:
"Norway has made it clear that it will not allow the normalization of the participation of Russia and Belarus in international sports.
The decision to prevent the entry of athletes and professional staff members from both countries to participate in sports competitions is a direct response to the easing of restrictions by the international sports federations.
While Russian missiles and drones continue to kill peaceful Ukrainians, attempts to return Russian athletes to international competitions cannot be considered apart from the reality of this war. Russian elite sport remains closely tied to state structures, especially institutions that support and promote Kremlin aggression. Granting neutral status to athletes does not mean an automatic severance of these ties.
Thanks to concrete steps taken by Finland, Canada and now Norway, international opposition to Russia's return to major sports continues to grow. The decisions of the sports federations cannot abrogate the responsibility of governments to take into account the wider consequences of Russian aggression.
I thank Norway and our Norwegian partners for this important decision and the principled solidarity with Ukraine."