Moscow: The Kremlin has welcomed the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove several of its restrictions on Russia, describing it as an 'important step'.
The IOC provisionally lifted a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and advised Olympic sports bodies they no longer need to be vetting its athletes for permission to compete as neutrals.
The easing of restrictions serve as a big step closer to letting Russia field a full team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
"It is an important step toward reinstating our athletes' legitimate rights to participate in international competitions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
"Work will continue through our sports authorities. They are conducting this work constantly and consistently, this work will continue.", Peskov stated.
"Now, it's very important that all our athletes have the opportunity to compete in major international events.", the spokesperon added on.
The IOC's guidance to reintegrate Russians in international events is not binding for the governing bodies of individual sports.
Track and field has already said it will not follow suit and there is no sign yet of changes which could let Russia return to major football events like Euro 2028 or a future World Cup.
"FIFA has been made aware of the decision taken by the IOC to provisionally lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee," the organisation said. "FIFA will analyze the decision before deciding on next steps in coordination with the relevant stakeholders."
FIFA last year invited Russia to send a team to the inaugural boys' Under-15 Football Festival in Azerbaijan starting October 22. That came soon after the IOC recommended allowing Russian youth teams to compete with the country's flag and anthem.
