Russia will back CoE convention against match fixing - Mutko
SOCHI. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russia has taken active part in the drafting of a new Council of Europe (CoE) convention to counter manipulation of sports competitions, and will definitely support it, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Friday.
"In his message at the last meeting CoE Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland touched upon the subject of negative phenomena in sports, including the subject of anti-doping, a convention on which was signed by 170 countries. It was also agreed that a new CoE convention will be presented this September on countering manipulation of sports competitions, i.e. match fixing. Furthermore, this convention is open not only to European countries, but any country can join it," he told reporters after an informal meeting of sports ministers from the CoE member states and the countries participating in the Olympics, which was held in Sochi on the opening day of the Winter Olympics.
The informal meeting that was organized at the initiative of the Russian Sports Ministry also focused on the subject of violence at stadiums, fans' behavior and vandalism.
The meeting was attended by 33 sports ministers from various countries, as well as representatives from over 90 countries who have arrived in Sochi and kindly praised the Sochi Olympics preparations, infrastructure, facilities, the work of volunteers and others services involved in the organization of the games, Mutko said.
