U.N. to Help Koreas Form Joint Team
The United Nations agreed Tuesday to mediate between South and North Korea with the aim of forming a unified team for some events at the 2015 World University Games, organizers said.
Wilfried Lemke, the special U.N. adviser on sports for development and peace, signed a cooperation agreement with the Universiade organizing committee in the southwestern city of Gwangju.
It calls for efforts to create joint Korean teams in some events and to increase sporting exchanges by inviting North Koreans to the U.N.'s Youth Leadership Camp in the host city.
"This agreement is very meaningful since the U.N. promised to directly mediate and support peace on the Korean peninsula and promote inter-Korean relations," the organizing committee said in a statement.
"We plan to form more than two joint teams at the Gwangju Universiade."
The statement said Lemke played a key role in forming a unified Korean team for the Peace and Sport Cup table tennis tournament in the Qatari capital Doha last November.
The two Koreas have remained technically at war since their 1950-1953 conflict ended only in an armistice and cross-border tensions are currently high.
They formed a joint team for the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships and the FIFA World Youth Championship in the same year.
They have never competed together in an Olympics, Asian Games or Universiade, but marched together in the opening ceremonies for the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and for the 2006 Asian Games.
Source: Agence France Presse
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