Hungarian FM Szijjártó meets Japanese minister for Olympics

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday met Tamayo Murakawa, Japan’s minister in charge of the Olympics.

In a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday after the meeting in Japan, Szijjártó said preparations for the Olympics were now more complex than ever, adding the world was “rooting” for its success.

“There are 136 days until what will hopefully be the opening ceremony,” he said.

Preparations for the participation of Hungarian athletes have been made and the embassy’s staff will be increased during the Games, he said. Six Japanese cities will be hosting Hungarian athletes in the run-up to the event, and Hungarian sportspeople in eleven sports will train in-situ, he said.

“It’s certain that athletes … will have very serious testing obligations,” he said, though current rules state that athletes will not be required to be vaccinated. Hungarian athletes, he noted, would be vaccinated, however.

Athletes, the minister said, will follow strict rules, including the routes they take in the city.

A key question is whether spectators will be allowed and, if so, whether foreign spectators will be able to attend events,

Szijjártó said. The relevant decision is expected to be made sometime this month, while a decision on the density of spectators in various sports facilities will be made in April, he added.

A decision on whether international spectators will be allowed to attend the Tokyo Olympics Games this summer will be taken by the end of March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Monday.

Read alsoWill Budapest host the Olympics in 2032?

Source: MTI, Reuters