Prime Minister Jaques Arquette, the leader of the Aurian government in exile, and Sarah Berenstein, self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the “Aurian Free Commonwealth,” reached a landmark agreement today over the upcoming 2023 Olympiad in Hanshui, Laeral. This agreement, officially titled the Savika Accord (named after exiled parliamentarian and mediator Evita Savika), provides the opportunity for Aurian athletes to compete in the Olympic Games despite the numerous factions claiming legitimacy over Auria.
This agreement comes at the end of a weeklong discussion on the future of Aurian athletes in international competition. Under the terms of the accord, Aurian athletes will be allowed to compete in the games under the name of “Spōrtēsei Netkarikei dei Auria” (Aurian Independent Athletes). A neutral flag, anthem, and uniform will be provided to qualifying athletes, and these athletes must agree not to “modify the uniform in any way that can be considered an endorsement of any party in the ongoing conflict.” According to sources close to Prime Minister Arquette, this was one of the most hotly contested points, with neither side wanting to give up any perceived legitimacy on the international stage.
Another crucial (and heavily debated) point of the Accord is a clause labeled “The Minimum Representation Clause.” This stipulation requires that for every sport that Aurian athletes compete in, there must be at least one qualifying athlete from both sides entered in that sport. This, unfortunately, has lead to the disqualification of some athletes, however Zoē Asara, spokesperson for the Arquette Administration released a statement on the clause after the Accord was released publicly. “We sincerely apologize for the exclusion of any athletes, however this accord was the best opportunity to allow any Aurian athletes to compete in the Hanshui games at all. Any progress for the sake of our citizens is good progress.”
Due to the temporary disbandment of Auria’s national sports associations, the roster of qualifying Aurian athletes will have to be nominated and approved by representatives of both sides, according to the third section of the Savika Accord. Neither of the claimant governments have released any potential rosters as of late, and there is no word on if these rosters are being discussed at the moment. Regardless, a complete roster is expected to be released sometime in the next few weeks.
Article written by the United Aurian Press. The UAP denies any support of the governments claiming to be the legitimate Aurian state.
Atlauja Lapointe atpasat danz mēr.
