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Russia's Putin to meet IOC's Bach at World Cup final - TASS

Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mihail Metzel/RIA Novosti/Pool (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, at the soccer World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday, TASS news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Kremlin's spokesman.

"Such a meeting is planned," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying.

The IOC said Bach would attend the World Cup final at the invitation of soccer governing body FIFA.

The IOC, the global body in charge of the Olympics, banned Russia from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February as punishment for an alleged state scheme to cover up positive doping tests at the 2014 Sochi Games.

The IOC nonetheless allowed a number of Russians to compete as neutrals at its invitation. Days after the Pyeongchang Olympics, the IOC lifted the suspension against Russia.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Polina Devitt; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Catherine Evans)