Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held two meetings in Sochi July 3 dedicated to the preparation of 2014 Olympics.
Photo: Sergey Mikheev
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Olympics Given Environmental Niche
The environmental organizations of Russia and overseas forced Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to change the site of big projects for the second time yesterday. Pressurized by the nature defenders, Putin ordered to relocate some projects of the Sochi 2014 Olympics from the reserved Grushev mountain ridge. The previous achievement dates back to 2006, when the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean oil pipeline was moved from the Lake Baikal. That victory of the nature defenders cost $1 billion in addition to the budget, the price of their current success will be calculated by August 1.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held two meetings in Sochi yesterday dedicated to the preparation of 2014 Olympics. He first consulted with spokesmen of environmental organizations demanding to move the construction of toboggan and bobsleigh track, mountain Olympic village and water intake structure from the Grushev ridge. As a result, Putin resolved to change the initial project for those three Olympic facilities and informed Chairman of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Jean-Claude Killy about his decision.
The application for 2014 Winter Olympics that the Russian delegation presented at the IOC session in Guatemala January 8, 2007 specified that the toboggan and bobsleigh track, mountain Olympic village and water intake structure would be constructed at the Grushev mountain ridge, i.e. near the North Caucasus natural reserve that is a part of UNESCO legacy. So, Russia’s and foreign environment defenders closed ranks to oppose the project.
Should the nature balance be violated, the problems may arise that no money would sort out, the prime minister explained yesterday, pointed out that “we are losing definite money, but the money will come with time.”
The decision on the challengeable projects at the Grusevh ridge was made in time when Semyon Vainshtok headed Olimstroy corporation. Vainshtok, who resigned from that office in April of 2008, refused to comment on the issue yesterday.
“In many respects, we have won because the international organizations, first of all UNESCO, stepped in,” said Mikhail Kreindlin, the expert on nature protection laws at Greenpeace Russia. “The scandal would have hit not only the image of Russia’s authorities but also the International Olympic Committee (IOC). IOC evaluated potential losses and apparently pressurized the RF government.”
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All the Article in Russian as of July 04, 2008
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