PARIS, France (AFP) — Prince Feisal Al-Hussein of Jordan said he can bridge continents and cultures if he becomes the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from outside Europe and the United States.

The 61-year-old brother of King Abdullah II is a familiar face at the IOC but believes he can offer something radically different to the other six candidates bidding to succeed Thomas Bach of Germany.

“All the previous presidents have been either from Europe or from the US. We need to have people that can understand the globe and can better bridge between East and West, from the global South and the North,” the prince said in a round table session with international media this week.

“That’s part of me. Culturally I am eastern, but I was also western-educated. I can help bridge that divide.”

The 61-year-old wasted no time in tackling the question of why a prince would want to put himself on the line — and under scrutiny — to bid to become arguably the most powerful person in sport.

“I was born into a family where service was a lifelong commitment and it was something that you were brought up with,” he said.

“My late father used to say, if you can do something to change the world, to make it a better place, then it is your duty to be able to do so.”

“The Olympic movement is an extension of my lifetime in service. All the experiences I’ve had have culminated in a position where I can serve the Olympic movement.”

One of the thorniest questions he would face as Olympic chief would be whether to fully re-admit Russia to the fold.

Russia was banned from the Paris Olympics last year over the invasion of Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin launched in 2022 days after the Beijing Winter Olympics closed.

Following the invasion, Russia moved to incorporate the sports federations of four Ukrainian regions, in a breach of the Olympic Charter.

“The issue of why Russia has been sanctioned, whether some people agree with it or disagree with it, was because of a violation of the Olympic Charter,” the prince said.

“If there is an opportunity, I believe in inclusion, not exclusion… so ultimately I would love for them to return but the Olympic Charter is what governs us all in the Olympic movement.

“Unless the membership decides to change the Charter, as president I will defend (it).”