The World Anti-Doping Agency says that its compliance review committee (CRC) has recommended the reinstatement of Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, which has been suspended since 2015 over alleged state-backed doping.
WADA said on Friday the committee had reviewed a letter from the Russian sports ministry it said had "sufficiently acknowledged the issues identified in Russia," thus fulfilling the first of two remaining criteria for its reinstatement.
"For the second outstanding criterion, the CRC accepted that the new commitment to provide access to the data and samples in the Moscow laboratory to WADA via an independent expert would be sufficient to justify reinstatement..." WADA added.
WADA's executive committee will meet on September 20 to review RUSADA's efforts to bring about a reinstatement.
Russia's anti-doping agency has been suspended since 2015 after a WADA commissioned report revealed alleged widespread doping in the country, although Russia has repeatedly denied state involvement.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reinstated Russia in late February after the remaining tests from this year's Pyeongchang Winter Games all returned negative.
The IOC had banned Russia from the Pyeongchang Olympics after it found evidence of an "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system.
But it had allowed Russians to compete in the Winter Games as an "Olympic Athlete of Russia", as long as they satisfied strict conditions that showed they had a doping-free background.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has yet to reinstate the Russian athletics federation.
"The IAAF's Taskforce will prepare a report for the next Council meeting in Monaco in December, which is expected to cover any developments relevant to Russia's position in the sport," the sport's governing body said on Friday.
It suspended the Russian federation in 2015 and had allowed only one of its athletes to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
A number of Russian athletes have been able to compete in international athletics competitions, including the world championships, as neutrals by passing a series of doping tests.
