MOSCOW (AP) Russia said Friday it will follow any recommendations from the World Anti-Doping Agency to clean up its own troubled drug-testing body.
A WADA commission's report this month accused the Russian anti-doping agency, RUSADA, of covering up failed drug tests by top athletes. RUSADA was suspended by WADA following the report's publication.
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko met WADA director general David Howman in Germany on Thursday.
According to an account of the meeting posted by the ministry, Mutko said Russia would ''follow all recommendations from WADA aimed at the necessary transformations in the activities and structure of RUSADA.''
In a statement on the WADA website, Howman said Russia still had a long way to go.
''WADA is pleased with the assurances provided by Minister Mutko to address the issues raised in WADA's Independent Commission Report,'' Howman said. ''There is, however, still much work to be done by RUSADA. ... It is imperative that Russia's anti-doping program be overhauled in order to protect the rights of clean athletes worldwide and to re-establish public confidence in Russian athletics.''
Russia's track and field team was also suspended this month by the IAAF and could miss next year's Olympics in Brazil.
