Matytsin made the comments during a speech at the Bureau of the Seventh Conference of Parties (COP7) to the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport in Moscow today.

His remarks came a day after Russian intelligence officers were charged in the United States for a cyberattack at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

Russia's Sports Ministry has also previously been accused of involvement in a state-sponsored doping programme in operation at major events including the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Officials in the country have repeatedly spoken out against what they claim has been political moves against Russia by organisations including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Russia is facing a four-year package of sanctions, including a ban on its flag at the Olympic Games, after the nation was found to have manipulated data at the Moscow Laboratory.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency has appealed the punishments handed down by WADA, with the case set to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport next month.

"On a global scale, the coronavirus has killed more than one million people and infected more than 40 million," said Matytsin.

"The virus knows no borders and is a global challenge.

"Under these new challenges it is crucial to unite efforts of states in the fight against doping in sport. 

"And these questions should be solved professionally, in a constructive way, without any attempts of politicising and interference from the outside."

Funding for anti-doping and the Bureau's strategy for 2020-2021 were among the main topics at the meeting in the Russian capital.

"This event broadcasts a very powerful message to the entire sports community," said Marcos Diaz, a former WADA Presidential candidate who chairs the conference.

"It is also a showcase that demonstrates the commitment of each of them to the universal principles that shape the sporting values and ethical aspects of the anti-doping convention."