PYEONGCHANG /South Korea/, February 7. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee intends to restore the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee before the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea's PyoengChang are over, IOC honorary member Vitaly Smirnov told reporters on Wednesday.

"Undoubtedly, the IOC is set to do this [reinstate Russia’s membership]. Yesterday, you could hear IOC members saying in their speeches that Russia is a very important partner and member of the Olympic movement. No one except [former WADA chief] Richard Pound has doubts about this. I have reasons to believe that we should be reinstated," he said.

IOC suspended Russia’s membership on December 5, 2017. As a result, Russian athletes will compete under the Olympic flag, in the status of an "Olympic athlete from Russia."

The Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang will be held on February 9-25.