Upholding the 'sacred institution' of the Games

Countries such as China and Greece with great cultural heritage have the moral obligation to help rejuvenate the Olympic spirit, a top diplomat said yesterday.

And the essence of that spirit is the sacred institution of the Olympic Truce, aimed at bringing peace to "very conflicting parties" through sports and cultural exchange, Greek Ambassador to China Michael Cambanis told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

"Coming from the country where the notion of the Olympic Truce was born, I strongly believe that politics have no place in the Olympic Games," Cambanis said.