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Russia, UN to organize conference on preventing corruption in sport — Russian diplomat

The international conference is due on September 3-4 in Vienna

PYATIGORSK /Stavropol Territory/, August 22. /TASS/. Russia and the United Nations will organize the second international Safeguarding Sport from Corruption Conference to be held in Vienna on September 3 and 4, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"I would like to draw your attention to an event that will be held in Vienna on September 3 and 4. It will be the venue of the second international conference on preventing corruption in sport. The conference will be organized jointly by Russia, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Italy," she told a briefing on the sidelines of the North Caucasian Mashuk Youth Forum.

The conference is called "to encourage cooperation between the state and private sectors and international sports organizations in order to expose corruption-related crimes in sport and, hence, ensure punishment for them," Zakharova stated.

According to the Russian diplomat, the opening ceremony will be attended by UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Yury Fedotov and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov.

"More than 200 participants from about 70 countries, international, intergovernmental, non-profit and sports organizations have registered for the forum. The program includes speeches by Italy’s national anti-mafia and anti-terrorism prosecutor, a Russian deputy sports minister, leading Russian and foreign experts," Zakharova added.