French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he would do "everything possible" to achieve a truce during this year's Olympic Games in Paris, amid Russia's war against Ukraine and in other regions, UNN reports citing AFP.
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Macron said he would do "everything possible" to ensure that the Olympic Truce is reached during the Games. The armistice is a historical tradition according to which peace reigns during the Olympics.
"We want to work for an Olympic truce, and I think it's an occasion for me to engage with many of our partners," Macron said in an interview with BFMTV and RMC.
Also today, the French president said for the first time that the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris could be moved from the Seine River to the national stadium in case of a security threat.
Prior to that, Paris organizers, as noted, developed a ceremony that is unprecedented in the history of the Olympic Games, as it breaks with the tradition of opening the Games in the main stadium. So far, the organizers have denied the possibility of moving the July 26 ceremony to another location, if the authorities believe there is a possibility that it will be targeted, the newspaper writes.
"This opening ceremony ... is the first in the world. We can do it, and we are going to do it," Macron said.
But, he added, "there is a plan B and a plan C," including moving the ceremony to the Stade de France stadium north of Paris, the main Olympic stadium that will host rugby sevens and athletics.
Macron said that instead of the teams floating down the Seine on barges, the ceremony could be "limited to the Trocadero building" across the river from the Eiffel Tower or "even moved to the Stade de France.
"We will analyze this in real time," Macron added.
Moving the ceremony from the Seine would be a huge task and would deprive the Olympic Games in Paris of their defining image, the newspaper notes.
More than 300,000 spectators are expected to attend the ceremony, with another 200,000 watching from buildings along the Seine.
So far, all countries have said they plan to take part in the open-air river parade, including the "most at-risk" countries such as the United States and Israel, the newspaper said.
The Paralympic Games will be held after the Olympic Games and will begin on August 28.
Macron said that his goal is for France to be among the top five in the medal standings of the Olympic Games and among the top eight countries in the Paralympic Games.
Олімпіада 2024 в Парижі: Ейфелеву вежу декорують олімпійськими кільцями09.04.24, 10:05