Francos: “We are not at the same point and the situation is not still blocked”
MADRID, 25 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Alejandro Blanco, insisted on Monday that they are not going to stop fighting” to advance the joint candidacy of Catalonia and Aragon for the 2030 Winter Olympics, despite the ” insurmountable differences” between the regional administrations, at the same time that it set the month of May as the limit to make “everything absolutely clear”.
“If we have something in the COE, it is seriousness. We have presented a candidacy, endorsed by the Government of Spain, with which we want to make some games with Catalonia and Aragon. That is the approach we want, there is no other. We are not going to leave to fight for this approach and we are going to move forward”, Blanco stressed to the media after meeting with representatives of the Government, the Generalitat de Catalunya and Aragón to try to advance the Barcelona-Pyrenees candidacy for the 2030 Games.
The president of the COE is “aware” of the “insurmountable difficulties” that exist at the moment, although he is “convinced” that a solution will be found. “There has been no agreement, but we have been summoned to continue having conversations. I hope, I wish and I am sure that we will reach an agreement,” he asserted forcefully.
“We will find the exact point, the important thing is that we have some games in Spain, so that everyone benefits. We have to keep talking to find that final point in which everyone is calm. The priority is to make the Games We are the ones responsible for that candidacy going ahead, but it is not being easy. We have something that nobody has: a story and a history that is understanding, respect and dialogue,” he reiterated.
Blanco, meeting with the different parties for more than two hours, valued the statements of the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of the Aragonese Government, Felipe Faci, who at the end of the meeting described the candidacy as “unfair”. “We have created a technical commission, with three representatives from each party, and the proposal that was debated has been approved, we cannot say that it is unfair, the representatives of that commission are appointed by the governments,” he explained.
“With which everyone knew how that proposal was going to be. If someone does not agree now, it is their right, but everyone knew it, and I do not judge if someone is not happy,” he clarified.
In addition to this deadlock in the talks between the different parties, time is also running against the Spanish candidacy. “We are in a hurry, a representation of the IOC was going to come in May to see the facilities, and now we have to delay it. We are close to the limit and in May everything has to be absolutely clear, otherwise we would have to make another approach. We are going to give us a few days and in that meeting we should already have a decision”, settled Blanco.
THE GOVERNMENT INSISTS THAT THE SITUATION “NOT REMAINS BLOCKED”
For his part, the general secretary of Culture and Sports, Victor Francos, representing the central government, celebrated the “cordiality” at the meeting, after which he did not give up “nothing for lost”, for which all the parties will be used to continue with the talks in the coming days, convened by Alejandro Blanco.
“The situation is not still blocked, we have sat down, something that is very important when negotiating, therefore we are not at the same point. Aragón was not present at the last meeting, today he came and we have promised to see each other again In no case are we at the same point, we are reaffirming the will of the four parties that there are possibilities that in 2030 the Games can be held in Catalonia and Aragon, “he said.
Despite the fact that “the game is against the clock” and that there are “discrepancies” between the parties, Francos reiterated that the two delegations, the Government of Spain and the COE want the Games and “neither party considers the talks closed” .
“The conclusion is that there can be Games, and therefore we continue the talks. We do not consider the Games lost. Aragon has made a proposal, there was an initial agreement, but the Government and the COE do not want to miss the opportunity and lose the Games. We have asked that they allow the COE to continue talking individually with each delegation and convene us multilaterally, “he said.