OREANDA-NEWS. February 24, 2009. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Presidium of the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Vladimir Putin's introductory remarks:  Good afternoon, Today, we will, as usual, sum up the results of our recent work, discuss the implementation of planned measures and chart short-term objectives.

I would like to say from the very outset that we are preparing intensively for the upcoming Olympic Games. Right now, I had an opportunity to speak to journalists working at the same centre in Sochi. They believe that local developments are quite positive. Representatives of the International Olympic Committee who have visited Sochi less than a month ago have also noted this. As you know, they regularly come to the city.

It is important that we have promptly modified the Olympic project's legal framework and have therefore created additional conditions for the effective implementation of our plans.

I will not list all this now. As you know, this implies efforts to streamline the legal framework, to pass bylaws, including the relevant Government resolutions. I am also talking about departmental acts, an important aspect of construction operations, land-property relations, city development issues, etc.

Those overseeing the Olympic project's key aspects will discuss the results achieved during the period under review. I would like the speakers to dwell on objectives that must be promptly accomplished and which require the coordination of our positions.

I propose that we prioritise the registration of land plots. Naturally, this serious issue requires time to settle, but its settlement should not be delayed.

Everybody realises that various stages for implementing the Olympic project's measures are inter-linked. First of all, this concerns transport-infrastructure, power-generation and telecommunications facilities. Delays in any of these areas could lead to all-out setbacks along the entire chain.

I realise that the allocation of land plots for Olympic construction projects depends on numerous objective factors. However, the provision of housing to people is the most pressing issue.

We are preparing a major international event and festival, which will also become a festival for the entire Russian nation. We cannot allow this festival to create problems that would mar the life of even one Russian citizen. Nobody must face any problems. Even if such problems do arise, they must be solved equitably.

I am asking the administration of the Krasnodar Territory and other concerned agencies to assess real housing demand during the resettlement of private individuals. They must equitably assess the price of sequestrated land and other property in line with the current real-estate market situation, the price of new housing and to conduct equal exchanges. Such equal exchanges must not cause any losses for private individuals. Nor must they lead to violations by any party or cause any sponging attitudes.

I will now turn to the financial aspect.

It is common knowledge that the Government now prioritises the issue of 2009-2011 budgetary allocation. Due to the involved economic situation, we focus on the budgetary funding of our commitments.

This fully concerns allocations as regards preparations for the Olympic Games. The 2009 federal budget stipulates allocations for building Olympic facilities, facilitating the development of Sochi and the safety of construction projects.

We discussed allocations for the development of Sochi and southern Russia and for Olympic construction from the very beginning. We now realise that over 80% of our resources will be spent on the development of southern Russia and Sochi. This implies highways, railways, environmental problems, power supply and telecommunications. The remaining 20% will be spent on Olympic facilities. The Sochi-2014 project aims to develop one of the Russian Federation's most important regions.

However, substantial funding for our plans also amounts to serious responsibility. This primarily concerns the frugal disbursement of allocations by all those involved in the process. This also concerns the search for effective technical and production solutions facilitating streamlined spending and subsequent efforts to involve private business in Olympic construction projects. We estimate that about 20 commercially attractive projects have not received investment to date.

We realise that state resources, finance, all state-economy aspects and the Russian economy's private sector are now facing a difficult situation. We realise it, and we are ready to support and to help those concerned. Private businessmen must make timely decisions concerning their involvement in Olympic construction projects. No matter how difficult, these profitable projects must be launched and financed or given away.

I believe that the Olympic Construction Corporation (Olympstroi) and other concerned parties must step up their efforts in all these areas.

In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about doping control, a problem which, as it may seem, is not directly related to preparations for the Sochi Olympic Games. In reality, this is a highly important issue for sports and for the preparations for Olympic Games.

I will not go into the well-known details. I am asking top officials at the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy to enlist the services of sports activists, to thoroughly assess the current situation and to draw practical conclusions.

Russian sports have always developed and must continue to develop in the traditions of a fair struggle. We must create the required conditions and introduce the required state control mechanisms in order to accomplish this objective.

We must act energetically. If necessary, let's discuss tougher liability.

At the same time, I want to draw the attention of the National Olympic Committee, the concerned ministries and departments and the Russian Federation's Government to the fact that we have no right and will not shift responsibility onto athletes alone. Sports-events organisers must also comprehend their own responsibility. We must create modern and effective mechanisms at every sports agency in order to protect sports interests and those of athletes on the international scene.

Why hasn't anything been done to insure athletes yet? What agencies have been created and have received incentives in order to guarantee the interests of professional athletes? I haven't heard anything about this lately.

I hope that we will discuss all these issues in greater detail at this meeting and will find effective approaches to their solution.