MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Russia will decide on whether its athletes will participate in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics based on the best interests of the athletes themselves and those of the country, Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said at an Olympic meeting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference on Thursday that the conditions for the admission of Russian athletes to the Olympics required a thorough assessment.

"Many are asking questions about our participation in the Olympic Games," Matytsin said. "The president has made our position perfectly clear. Together with sports federations, we will carefully study the regulations that, I hope, the International Olympic Committee will spell out in the near future. We will make a decision that will be fully in line with the interests of the athletes and our great country, which is an important partner of international sports," he added.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on December 8 that Russian and Belarusian athletes would be able to compete in the Paris Olympics as neutrals. The IOC specified that Russians and Belarusians would not be allowed to take part in team events. In addition, those who support military activities or are affiliated with the armed forces and national security agencies will be banned from the Games. Officials will not be accredited for the event, and any displays of the official state symbols of Russia and Belarus at the Olympics will be strictly prohibited.

The Paris Olympics Games will take place between July 26 and August 11, 2024.