Sports Diplomacy - Olympic Games

Greece, being the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Idea and athletics, has a long tradition of organizing and participating in major sporting events. The promotion of major sports events held in Greece or abroad, like the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the Special Olympics, the Athens Authentic Marathon, the Mediterranean Games, the promotion of the idea of Olympic Truce etc., constitute important aspects of Public Diplomacy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with all competent institutions, handles issues pertaining to international sports relations, such as security (Saint Denis Convention of the Council of Europe that entered into force in Greece on 01.06.2023), the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions, anti-doping in sports etc.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages the conclusion and implementation of Agreements on Sports Cooperation as well as the participation in multilateral fora (Council of Europe, UNESCO, EU, WADA).

The Olympic Games “Paris 2024” constitute an excellent opportunity for cooperation between Greece and France, founding states of the institution, to which the modern Olympic Idea is owed.