The IPC Governing Board are due to meet at the governing body's headquarters in German city Bonn from January 26 to 28, where Russian participation at Pyeongchang 2018 will be the main item on the agenda.

The final decision will be made just over a month before the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympics on March 9.

It appears unlikely that the IPC will reinstate the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) as five key criteria must still be met before the suspension can be lifted. 

This concerns the "approval of the RPC's constitution by the IPC membership department" and the "completion of all budget-related aspects of the reinstatement criteria".

Confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Sport that the required changes to the Russian legislation have been passed in order to allow for the proper enforcement of provisional and final suspensions against athlete support personnel is also required.

Crucially, the full reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is also still needed along with the "provision of an official response specifically and adequately addressing the findings made by Professor McLaren".

This final point is also needed for RUSADA reinstatement with WADA, who maintained Russia's non-compliance in November.

Russian athletes have been allowed to compete in the meantime as neutrals and will do so over the next month in qualification events across the four sports of Alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. 

The neutral participation was initiated to "preserve the ability of the RPC to enter its qualified athletes into the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games should it have its suspension lifted in time".

Russia was initially suspended by the IPC in August 2016, prior to the Rio 2016 Games, after doping offences were outlined in the McLaren Report.

IPC President Andrew Parsons will be present at the announcement in the German city.