Russia: Doping is not an issue of one specific nation and must be tackled jointly - Mutko

"Doping is not an issue of one specific nation, it is an international issue," Russian Sports Minister Vitali Mutko said in Moscow, Friday, adding that the problem can only be tackled "together, joining the efforts of countries, states and national and international federations." Speaking to RT, Mutko added that a series of measures has been taken to fix the situation in Russian athletics. "We have changed the leadership, the secretariat of the national federation, we've fired the head coach and many other specialists. The Russian Athletic Federation has altered its practices in combatting the use of doping, a new disciplinary commission was created. We have decided not to take athletes to the next world championship in disciplines where there have been doubts or suspicion. We have only taken a new, refreshed team," Mutko noted. He went on to demand a clear formulation of requirements from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), in case the measures taken are insufficient. "If today you suspend a specific national federation or national team, this would mean tremendous damage to the development of this sport in that country and worldwide," Mutko warned. The Russian sports minister demanded international standards concerning doping for all federations and countries. "We are ready to communicate and to cooperate with WADA and re-attest, recertify our laboratories and services and once again refurbish our national federation. But we would like that to be a finite process, not an indefinite one," Mutko argued. WADA published a report on Monday alleging widespread doping in Russian athletics and accused officials, including Russia's sports minister, of a systematic cover-up. The former WADA chief, Dick Pound, led the 11-month investigation. The conclusions, presented in a 325-page-report, allege doping violations over a period of years, directly encouraged by top officials, with complicity from testing labs and assistance from Russia's security services. Russia's Federal Biomedical Agency has refuted the claims, calling them "baseless."