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Olympics in Sochi to modernize Caucasus - Georgian president
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-07-06 08:28
MOSCOW - The Olympic Games-2014 in Sochi would facilitate the development and modernization of southern Russia and the whole Caucasian region, and strengthening of stability there, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said on Thursday.
"The Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi will help develop and modernize southern Russia and the whole Caucasian region, and strengthen stability there," Saakashvili said in an interview with one of the foreign television companies.
"From the very beginning we supported Sochi as a candidate for hosting the winter Olympic Games 2014 because we think that this will contribute to developing the entire Caucasian region and strengthening stability there. I believe that the Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi will help rivet the international community's attention to the Caucasian region and the peaceful settlement of frozen conflicts," the Georgian president said.
Saakashvili said on February 23 that Georgia "sincerely upholds Russia's bid to host the winter Olympic Games-2014 in Sochi.
"If we failed to hold the Olympic Games 2014 in Bakuriani (Georgia submitted its application to host the Olympic Games in this mountainous resort), I'm ready to sincerely support Sochi's candidate," he said.
The Russian city of Sochi in Krasnadar province, has won the rights to host the 2014 Winter Olympics at the 119th International Olympic Committee's assembly, which formally began in Guatemala city on Wednesday.
The city is between the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, with an estimated population of 400,000 people.
It will be the first time for Russia to host the Winter Olympic Games, although it has hosted the Summer Games in 1980.
The 2014 Winter Olympics will run from February 7 to 23.
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