World Friendship Games to be hosted by Moscow, Yekaterinburg in 2024 - decree

MOSCOW. Oct 19 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued instructions to hold the World Friendship Games in Moscow and Yekaterinburg in 2024.

The relevant decree has been published on the official website of legal information.

"In order to ensure the guaranteed free access of Russian athletes and sports organizations to international sports activities [and] the development of new formats of international sports cooperation, I decree that the World Friendship Games international competitions be held in Moscow and Yekaterinburg in 2024," the document said.

Putin instructed the government to set up an organizing committee for the competitions' preparations and to assist with their coverage in the media. In turn, the organizing committee must elaborate and adopt a plan of the main activities for preparing and holding the World Friendship Games within two months.

The president also ordered the Russian Foreign Ministry to assist with promoting the competitions.

The expenses incurred by preparing for and holding the games will be funded "from the budgetary allocations of the federal budget for the corresponding fiscal year, as well as from other sources," the document said.

Putin also recommended that the Moscow government and the government of the Sverdlovsk region take measures to prepare sports facilities for the competitions.

The World Friendship Games are expected to be held in Moscow and Yekaterinburg from September 15 to September 29, 2024, with tournaments in 27 sports. About 10,000 athletes may take part in them.