Putin Gives Support For Moscow Olympics Bid

President Putin Expresses Full Support For Moscow’s 2012 Olympic Bid

Moscow, Wednesday 16 March 2005: President Vladimir Putin today discussed the strengths of Moscow’s 2012 Olympic Bid with the members of the International Olympic Committee’s Evaluation Commission.

During a meeting over tea in the Kremlin, President Putin said to the members of the Commission: “I think that you will agree with me that we are right to consider our country to be one of the leading international sporting powers. In Moscow alone, there are over 500 Olympic champions. I don’t know what other city in the world can boast such a sparkling array of sporting talents.

25 years ago, the capital of Russia, Moscow, was the Host City of the Games of the 22nd Olympiad. We know the international political conditions in which the Olympic Games were held then. Thank God, these times have passed. The world has changed, and Russia itself has changed. But one thing has not changed – the Russian people’s interest in sport.

Since then, over 100 European and world championships have been held in Moscow, and today, there are already over one third of the venues which could be used in the future Olympic Games. And by 2010, regardless of whether the Olympic Games are to be held in Moscow, the Moscow authorities and the Federal Government plan to build over 300 sports venues in the capital of Russia.

Russia fully shares all the humanitarian principles of the Olympic ideals. This especially applies of course to Russia today. And in this sense, holding the Olympic Games in Moscow would make it possible to develop these principles in Russian society. But there is also another historic component – 2012 will mark 100 years that Russian athletes have been taking part in the Olympic Games.

We are very pleased not just to note the development of the Olympic Movement, but we also consider the development of the Paralympic Games to be no less important. Not only in the sense of the sporting component of the Paralympic Movement, but also of the social component. And in this sense, we are ready to do everything to organise the Paralympic Games at the necessary level.

We believe that the decision which will be made soon on where the Games of the 30th Olympiad will be held, will be well-founded, balanced and fair. And if the decision is made in Moscow’s favour then, of course, the Moscow authorities and the Federal Government will do everything in our power to organise the Olympic Games at the highest level, to ensure it will be a bright and memorable event of international importance, which will help to develop international ties, relations between the peoples of the world, friendship, interaction and mutual understanding.

And I would like to say the most important thing: of course, the mood of the official authorities – local, city, and federal – is a very important component in the organisation of the Olympic Games, but it is still not the most important. The most important thing is the attitude about the Olympic Games shared by the vast majority of the Russian population. I am certain that the Olympic Games, if they are held in Russia, in Moscow, will be supported in the most active manner by the majority of citizens of the Russian Federation.”

Photographs of the meeting with President Vladimir Putin are available on the Moscow 2012 website: http://m2012.ru/en/?did=5_415_423

YELTSIN DECLARES SUPPORT FOR MOSCOW 2012 OLYMPIC BID SUCCESS

Moscow, Wednesday 16 March 2005: Following a meeting with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, the members of the International Olympic Committee’s Evaluation Commission heard from Russia’s first President, Boris Yeltsin, that he too strongly supports the Moscow 2012 Olympic Bid.

At a reception in the Kremlin’s Patriarch Palace hosted by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and attended by numerous Olympic champions and dignitaries, Boris Yeltsin said to the members of the Commission: “I am an athlete, I love sports. I have shaken hands with every member of the Evaluation Commission, and asked them their impressions of Moscow, and they all said “ochen horosho!” (very good!) I find them to be a very sincere group of people and I know that when they make their analysis, they will take into consideration Russia’s love of and great contribution to sports, and indeed the enormously positive impact of the Olympic Movement on Russia. I wish Madame El Moutawakel and the Evaluation Commission a very enjoyable visit to Moscow and all the best for the future.”

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