MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. Moscow categorically disagrees with the stance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Russian athletes, but will continue to maintain contact with the global Olympic body, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"We strongly disagree with the line that the IOC has taken towards our athletes in the context of their Olympic prospects," he said, adding that Moscow does not hide this position.

"In any case, we will certainly carry on with our contacts with the IOC," Peskov added.

The Russian presidential spokesman also said that the IOC does "not have a monopoly on sports." Earlier this week, the IOC cautioned National Olympic Committees (NOCs) against participating in the World Friendship Games in Russia next year, as this would violate the global Olympic body’s recommendations

"The sports world is much more multifaceted, covering a huge number of countries," Peskov said. "There can be other competitions, various countries can initiate them and all this can be done outside the scope of the IOC. Everyone must understand this."

IOC President Thomas Bach stated on June 22 that "the Russian government was going to hold politicized competitions."

Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed earlier in the year that in 2024, the first Summer World Friendship Games be held in the Russian capital of Moscow. Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin later announced that the BRICS Games and the World Friendship Games have nothing to do with politics and are in no way a condemnation of the IOC.

IOC sanctions against Russia, Belarus

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.

On July 26, 2023, the IOC extended invitations to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris to 203 National Olympic Committees. Russia and Belarus did not receive invitations. The IOC explained later that there was no deadline regarding the issue of Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11.