MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. European countries are unhappy that Russian athletes are allowed to participate in international competitions, Dmitry Svishchyov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on physical culture and dports (from the Liberal Democratic Party) told TASS.

According to a report by the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), European elites are extremely concerned about the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to lift sanctions from the Russian Olympic Committee and Russian athletes. It said that the European Union is exploring visa bans and new restrictions on Russian athletes and sports officials.

"The IOC must withstand this European pressure," Svishchyov said. "Of course, our so-called neighbors from Europe do not like that our athletes are allowed to participate, separating politics and sports. And the Europeans are livid about that. But the IOC must not give in to this, it must stick to its guns. By the way, we see that if our athletes compete in international competitions, there are no problems, either with safety or with anything else."