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Sochi to turn into a world class resort after the 2014 Olympic Games

MOSCOW, January 17, 23:11 /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at this week’s government meeting on January 16 that Sochi would turn into a world class resort and Russia’s main tourism center after the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.

“The modern Olympic infrastructure should contribute to regional development and improvement in people’s living standards,” he emphasized.

Medvedev called for turning the Olympic city into a modern all-year-round world class resort. “In fact, this is going to be our main center of tourism, sport and recreation,” the prime minister went on to say.

Medvedev said that the volunteer movement should also be an example of Russian Olympic movement.

The first athletes are expected to arrive at the Olympic Village in Sochi in the next two weeks, Dmitry Chernyshenko, the head of the Sochi-2014 organizing committee, told the Russian cabinet meeting on Thursday, January 17.

With the Olympic opening ceremony being just three weeks away, about 1,500 journalists and TV commentators are already working at the Olympic media center that has opened in Sochi. The preliminary opening of all Olympic Villages where delegations are going to stay will take place in eight days. A mountain media center will also be launched.

“Athletes will start arriving in the villages to train at the Olympic facilities in the next two days,” Chernyshenko stressed.

In the meantime, in an interview given to several Russian television channels on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to do everything to guarantee security at the Sochi Olympic Games opening on February 7.

“Our task as organizers is to provide security for the participants and guests of the Sochi Olympic Games, and we are going to do everything for it,” Putin said.

“If we allow ourselves to show weakness and fear, we will help terrorists to achieve their goals,” the Russian head of state said.

“I believe that the international community working in all spheres - humanitarian, political and economic - should join efforts in struggle against manifestations like terrorist acts and the killing of innocent people,” the Russian leader emphasized.

Putin emphasized that Russia would do its best to make security measures to be taken at the Games unobtrusive so that they did not strike the eye and press on the participants and guests of the Olympic Games.

“At the same time, we are going to do everything within our power to make these measures effective,” Putin stressed.

Putin’s full interview will go on air on Sunday.