Russia to provide foreign doping officers with passes to restricted territories - Sports Minister Mutko
MOSCOW. June 22 (Interfax) - There are several cities in Russia where access is restricted to outsiders, but Russian athletes don't reside in them; nevertheless, Russia will provide foreign doping officers with passes to these territories to comply with WADA recommendations, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said.
"You need to respect a country where you work. Yes, we have closed cities where access is restricted, but athletes don't reside in them," Mutko told journalists in Moscow on Wednesday.
"Give us the list of doping officers, we will issue them permanent passes so they can work, but WADA says in its report that there are obstacles. We got the list [of doping officers] at the end of May, and they'll be provided with passes very soon," he said.
Nobody can just board a train and enter such a city, Mutko said. "There is a Russian law that this requires a pass," he said.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had earlier demanded that Russia stop preventing independent doping officers from taking athletes' samples for doping tests at competitions, including in closed cities.
A WADA report said that over 700 Russian athletes had refused to undergo doping tests from February 15 to May 29, 2016.