IOC says no but Faroese government presses on

The Faroese government will continue working to secure membership of the International Olympic Committee, despite the IOC recently confirming that the Faroe Islands do not meet its membership requirements, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

A supplementary document to Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen’s first Ólavsøka report says the government is continuing its efforts in close cooperation with the Faroese Sports Confederation, Ítróttasamband Føroya. It also says the government is cooperating with Denmark, whose government has said it wants to support Faroese IOC membership.

Asked how the government plans to move forward after the IOC’s decision, Johannesen said in a written response that the government and ÍSF had agreed that ÍSF would lead the work to secure membership.

“Politically, we naturally support this wish and repeat the message on all relevant platforms,” the prime minister wrote.

KVF also asked whether the government had understood the IOC’s position. In a speech at Ólavsøka, Eirikur í Jákupsstovu, a member of the Faroese parliament for Tjóðveldi, said the matter appeared clear under the IOC’s rules.

He questioned whether it was realistic to expect Denmark’s prime minister to secure IOC membership for the Faroe Islands. He said it would be much simpler to change the constitutional relationship between the Faroe Islands and Denmark, arguing that Faroese self-government would provide a lasting solution and lead to IOC membership.

Johannesen said the government had read the IOC’s response, but pointed out that ÍSF was still working systematically towards membership and had appointed both a coordinator and a working group for the task.

The IOC confirmed earlier in July that the Faroe Islands cannot become a member under the current rules because member countries must be internationally recognised as independent states.