MOSCOW, January 17, /ITAR-TASS/. President Vladimir Putin will meet Friday with volunteers who are helping prepare the XXII Olympic and XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, which are to begin in February 2014.
"During the upcoming conversation, participants will discuss the goals and tasks of the Olympic Volunteer Programme, as well as the results of the training of the volunteer corps. The volunteers will tell (the President) about their functions and share their expectations for the Games," a Kremlin press service official said Thursday when announcing Friday's meeting.
The volunteer programme is one of the key innovation projects launched by the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee. Volunteers make up 35 percent of the service personnel at the Olympics.
"With a view to attracting volunteers to the Games, extensive work was done to register about 200,000 candidates and subsequently select and train about 25,000 people. The volunteer team Sochi2014 includes representatives from all Russian regions and 60 foreign countries," the Kremlin emphasizes.
Krasnodar Territory (KT) Governor Alexander Tkachyov told a government meeting, devoted to readiness for the Olympics, that in order to take all measures and fulfil all obligations on time, and help other participants in the Olympic project, the KT had mobilized 25,000 regional volunteers -- workers, specialists from various municipal entities who render help primarily in matters concerning the provision of amenities and ensurance of cleanness. Besides, the governor said, the KT and Sochi have ensured the participation of 7,000 volunteers: 3,000 of them will work under the direction of the Organzing Committee and 4,000 will give help in the streets, squares, places of celebration, and territories adjacent to Olympic facilities.
During the New-Year holidays, the President visited the Winter Olympic Games volunteer training center. At the close of the Olympics, those premises will be used as a paddock for the holding of the first Russian phase of the Formula-1 motor races.
At the Volunteer training center, the Head of State was shown the tried-and-tested procedure for the issue of outfit. Putin went through the enire procedure ranging from the receipt of an electronic coupon to fitting of uniform. The President tried on a warm waistcoat and a jacket which the Olympic volunteers would wear in the run-up to and during the Games. At volunteers' request, Putin left an autograph in remembrance of his visit to the center with wishes of luck.