Last week, the Minister said that the IOC's recommendations - although no decision has yet been made - over the possibility of athletes competing as neutral individuals were "a step which does not pre-judge what we will do."

But after attending today's IOC Invitation Ceremony here for the 2024 Olympics which start exactly a year from now, Oudéa-Castéra was quick to correct the suggestion that the French authorities were unaligned with the IOC on this question.

"I’m not saying we are not aligned, not at all," she told insidethegames after witnessing the IOC President Thomas Bach invite 203 of the 206 National Olympic Committees to take part in the Olympics.

"We are, on the contrary, saying that the dialogue with the IOC is very fluid, very constant.

"We have been over the last months with a number of Sports Ministries expressing some concerns over how, practically, the neutrality could work.

"And we felt that we were very much listened to by the IOC.

"And it’s very important for France to remind that, one, we side stronger than ever with Ukraine.

"Two, we condemn in the firmest possible way the war that is led by Russia.

"And we want to be respectful of the non-discrimination principle which is at the heart of the United Nations Charter.

"It leads us to examine whether a neutrality regime, a strict neutrality regime, is practical for the Belarusian and Russian athletes provided they have not supported the war and provided they have no links with the military.

"We want the neutrality regime to imply of course no anthem, no flag, and full commitment to the anti-doping requirements.

"We now need to be reassured that all that packet of conditions can be well aligned and we will follow the decision that is going to be made in due time by the IOC."

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games is scheduled to open on July 26 next year and is to conclude on August 11. 

The Paralympics is set for August 28 to September 8.