Representatives of over 40 international sports organizations in Moscow discussed a strategy for cooperation in Paralympic sport.

From May 20 to 23, the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) is holding an International Conference in Moscow, aimed at developing sports cooperation and timed to coincide with the RPC’s 30th anniversary. The event is supported by the Russian Sports Fund and the Ministry of Sports of Russia.

The event is attended by more than 40 heads of National Paralympic Committees and international sports organizations, as well as government officials, heads of Russian national sports federations, Russian Paralympic athletes, and national team coaches. Among the participants are 11-time Paralympic champion in athletics and President of the Cuban Paralympic Committee Omara Durand Elias; two-time Paralympic champion in athletics and President of the Indian Paralympic Committee Devendra Jhajharia; six-time Paralympic champion in cross-country skiing Sergey Shilov; five-time Paralympic champion and President of the All-Russian Sports Federation for Persons with Physical Impairments Andrey Strokin; three-time Paralympic champion and President of the All-Russian Sports Federation of the Blind Olga Semenova; and two-time Paralympic champion in cross-country skiing Ivan Golubkov.

The central event of the business program was the plenary session titled "Strategy of International Cooperation in Sport: Priorities, Challenges, Prospects."

Welcoming addresses to the participants were delivered by Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation and President of the Russian Olympic Committee; Pavel Rozhkov, President of the Russian Paralympic Committee; Oleg Matytsin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sport; Evgenia Lamonova, Senator of the Russian Federation; Mikhail Khorev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Vladimir Lukin, Honorary President of the RPC; and Liliana Suarez, Secretary General of the American Paralympic Committee.

President of the RPC Pavel Rozhkov emphasized:

"Currently, we are full members of the International Paralympic Committee. I sincerely thank our friends from the National Paralympic Committees who are participating in the Conference. Thanks to your support at the General Assemblies of the International Paralympic Committee, Russia is once again part of the global Paralympic movement and has the opportunity to actively develop international cooperation. We are ready to work openly and share our unique practical experience and advanced methodologies in athlete training, sports functional classification, anti-doping, education, and rehabilitation."

Two-time champion of the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games Ivan Golubkov addressed the conference participants, noting:

"On behalf of the Paralympic athletes, I want to thank the heads of the National Paralympic Committees who are taking part in the Conference today. Thanks to your support, the Paralympic Committee achieved the restoration of its rights, and we are once again fully participating in the international sports movement. Thank you to everyone who helped us return to the international sports family and supported us!"

During the plenary session, Pavel Rozhkov delivered a report on the sports and educational projects of the Russian Paralympic Committee. Reports on the plenary session’s theme were also presented by Nikolay Shudeyko, Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus; Hossam Eldin Mostafa, President of the Egyptian Paralympic Committee; Laszlo Szabo, President of the Hungarian Paralympic Committee; Juan José Rujano Ojeida, President of the Venezuelan Paralympic Committee; Henri Tago, President of the Paralympic Committee of the Central African Republic; and Ghafour Karegari, President of the Iranian Paralympic Committee.

At the conclusion of the event, memorandums of cooperation were signed between the Russian Paralympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committees of India, Iran, Panama, and the Central African Republic.