Sochi Olympic Games: lack of cooperation and comprehension

Feature story - 25 March, 2010
Recently Dmitry Kozak, deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who oversees the government preparation for the Sochi Winter Olympics, has rashly said that the Russian ecologists intend to disrupt the Olympic games.

Caucasian reserve

As in the case of the negligent speech of Vladimir Putin on the issue of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Plant, Dmitry Kozak was misinformed by his consultants who casually read the preliminary version of the report of the UNEP experts. As a result, the incorrect thesis has appeared: "The main problems that the organizers of the Olympic Games have to solve emerged as a result of cooperating with the independent ecological organizations which, instead of a constructive cooperation with the authorities, are about to disrupt the Winter Olympic Games in 2014".

In fact, there is no reason to accuse the ecologists either in the report or in reality. The document just diplomatically informs about difficulties in cooperation between the ecologists and the Olympic constructors.

The matter is that almost everything that seemed to be agreed with the authorities and constructors, at best, exists only on paper. At worst, the authority promises to cooperate with the ecologists were escalating into "special measures" with the police and border guards.

Dozens of times the ecologists have met the authorities to agree the concrete plans and the mechanisms for their implementation but everything remains on the same place. No sense to say about a dialog between the ecologists and the authorities when agreed decisions aren't implemented. Nevertheless, Greenpeace and other organizations are ready to solve problems caused by preparations for the Olympics in civilized and constructive way.

Probably, the UNEP which is offering help in establishing a working cooperation between the ecologists and the Russian authorities will be able to change the situation. It is mentioned in the report that the UNEP is ready to play the role of a "moderator" of the negotiations between the Russian government and the ecologists.

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