MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. /TASS/. President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov told Russia’s Sport-Express daily on Friday that the last time when he spoke personally with President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach in December 2022.

"We regularly hold talks with heads of international [sports] federations. Details of these talks are classified," Pozdnyakov said in an interview with Russia’s Sport-Express daily.

Asked when was the last time Pozdnyakov spoke with IOC President Bach personally, the ROC president said: "It was in December [2022] at the Olympic Summit."

IOC sanctions against Russia

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.

There is still no final clear-cut decision on behalf of the IOC regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The French capital of Paris is scheduled to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games between July 26 and August 11, 2024.