ASTANA, October 23. /TASS/. Russia’s Health Ministry maintains relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Monday after a meeting with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"Yes, [communication is maintained," he told journalists. "Today, we meet with the head of the World Health Organization, Mr. Tedros. We discussed many pressing problems that are on the current agenda."

According to the minister, the meeting was attended by senior officials of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. "Communication continues. Naturally, Russia is defensing its positions on some matters," he said, adding that his meeting with the WHO officials yielded an agreement on organizing a number of joint events in Russia.

He also said that among the topics during the meeting were prospects for including Russian specialists into a number of WHO committees and joint international events.

Murashko is taking part in the international conference on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Astana Declaration and the 45th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration on primary health care.