WASHINGTON, October 15. /TASS/. US Special Envoy for Global Partnerships Paolo Zampolli said the participation of Russian athletes in international competitions was important for the Americans.

"American and Russian athletes have elevated one another for generations. Real competition creates respect, and respect is one of the few diplomatic currencies that never loses value," Trump’s special envoy noted in an interview with TASS.

According to him, "the best champions want to beat the best." "When major athletes are absent for reasons unrelated to their individual conduct, the competition loses something and the public knows it. That does not take away the medals earned by American athletes, who compete under the rules placed before them, but the greatest victories are the ones achieved against the strongest possible field," the diplomat within both the White House and the US Department of State said.

The full text of the interview is available on the TASS website: https://tass.com/world/2202537.