Russia will launch a constructive dialogue with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after the implementation of all criteria of the road map for reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2019) Russia will launch a constructive dialogue with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after the implementation of all criteria of the road map for reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), Russian sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said on Monday.
On September 20, the great majority of the WADA Executive Committee voted to reinstate RUSADA as an organization that complies with the World Anti-Doping Code, with the agency specifying that the country had met 29 out of 31 criteria included in the road map for reinstatement. Meanwhile, the deadline for the two remaining criteria, including providing WADA with access to data from the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, was rescheduled. On January 17, WADA said that its experts had successfully copied the laboratory's database.
"We have always had working relations. We have a great working relationship with the International Olympic Committee, we are working with WADA. Now we have a road map, I hope that we will fully implement it and launch a constructive dialogue," Kolobkov said as quoted by Russia's NTV channel.
The minister added that after the complete implementation of the road map the country's anti-doping system would gradually begin its full-scale work.
RUSADA was suspended in 2015 after WADA issued a report, which accused Russia of state-backed doping in national athletics. The allegations have been repeatedly denied by Moscow.
