(CNN) -- Russia's anti-gay laws are "no problem whatsoever," according to a leading Olympic official. Lamine Diack, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, has called for Russian law to be respected ahead of his sport's world championships, which begin in Moscow on Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin last month signed into effect a law which bars the public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere children might hear. It has been condemned by Russian and international rights groups as highly discriminatory. "I don't feel there is a problem whatsoever," Diack, a member of the International Olympic Committee, told reporters. "Russia has their laws. Each athlete can have their own private life, so we won't call upon people about this and that.
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IAAF president Lamine Diack has "no problem whatsoever" with Russia's anti-gay law
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Diack was speaking in Moscow ahead of the World Athletics Championships
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U.S. President Barack Obama has criticized the laws as against the spirit of the Olympics
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A 320,000-signature strong petition protesting the law was handed to the IOC this week
In that spirit, we are calling for the @placeholder to clearly denounce the anti-gay law and do everything in its power to see that it is removed before the Olympics."