At the meeting the two parties discussed environmental issues
related to preparations for the Sochi-2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Russian Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev and President of
the Sochi-2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko also
attended the meeting.
The IOC representatives were once again informed on the position
of Greenpeace Russia concerning location of Olympic venues and
infrastructure in high conservation value territories including
parts of the World Heritage site "Western Caucasus". Greenpeace
specifically underlined that the issue of location of the disputed
Olympic venues could be easily resolved by locating them outside
the high conservation value lands. There are at least 16
alternative locations for the most disputed facility - the
bobsleigh tracks. The locations were developed by Greenpeace, WWF
and non-profit partnership "Transparent World" and on February 22,
2008, submitted to the Sochi-2014 Organizaing Committee for
consideration. Unfortunately, no such consideration ever took
place.
Giving his comments to the Greenpeace position, Natural
Resources Minister Trutnev confirmed that the areas in question
were indeed extremely valuable but all environmental issues may be
resolved without relocation of Olympic facilities. Responding to
this, the Greenpeace experts claimed that it is absolutely
impossible physically and that there are only two options: Russia
either violates both international and national legislation by
building where it was originally planned, or relocates all Olympic
venues beyond the high conservation value lands.
The IOC pointed out, though, that finding a solution to this
dispute is Russia's internal affair but stressed that the
International Olympic Committee is willing to do everything
possible to maintain a constructive dialogue between the organizers
of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and environmental NGOs.
"As far as we understand the IOC, they do not want any trouble,
but, on the other hand, they either don't want or can't put an end
to this story. The IOC prefers to keep out of struggle, however, I
am afraid that this just doesn't work because as an international
organization the IOC simply must take a position regading Russia'
violations of international agreements. Besides, this position must
comply with environmental requirements of the Olympic Charter",
said Head of the World Heritage Project of Greenpeace Russia Andrey
Petrov.
To emphasize the importnance of the discussed topics, Greenpeace
activists hanged a 15-meter high warning sign "World Heritage in
Danger" on the road to Krasnaya Polyana.
The huge trianglular banner on an unused power transmission
tower near the Adler - Krasnaya Polyana road used by the IOC
Coordination Commission to reach sites of Olympic construction in
the mountains, is a warning sign that was to remind about threats
to the unique nature of the Caucasus.
At the same time as the IOC Coordination Commission, the olympic
construction progress is to be evaluated by the mission of the
UNESCO World Heritage Center and the IUCN. If these independent
experts decide that the threat to the "Western Caucasus" World
Heritage site is indeed real, the World Heritage Committee may
decide to transfer this area into the List of World Heritage in
Danger already at its next session. This will signify that Russia
and, indirectly, the IOC have severely violated the international
Convention for Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of
UNESCO. The consequences of this will indeed be sad including law
suits againt the IOC and a terminal decision to hold the 2014
Winter Olympic Games in another city than Sochi.
"The changes that we are seeking to make are rather
insignificant from the point of view of Olympic Games but extremely
important from the viewpoint of environmental protection, - said
the High Conservation Value Areas Project coordinator of Greenpeace
Russia, Mikhail Kreindlin. - We do hope that the IOC following the
strict environmental requirements of the Olympic Charter, will urge
the Russian Government to remove the disputed Olympic venues and
infrastructure from the buffer are of the "Western Caucasus" World
Heritage site and the Grushevy Ridge".
To learn more, please, contact:
+7-918-201-31-54 - Mikhail Kreindlin
+7-918-201-31-50 - Andrey Petrov
+7-918-335-51-80 - Vera Bakasheva (press-secretary)
Additional information
1. According to the existing plans, some of the Olympic venues
and parts of infrastructure (for example, the bobsleigh tracks and
the mountain Olympic village), as well as several high-class
tourist hotels including a golf-club and a SPA resort are planned
for construction directly on the border of the Caucasus State
Biosphere Nature Reserve and on the Grushevy Ridge - the high
conservation value area of the Sochi National Park, which is a
violation of both Russian and international laws. This is very
likely to result in destruction of key habitats of rare and
endangered animal species and severe damage to one of the Western
Caucasus largest massifs of non-disturbed forests.
2. This is the first visit of the IOC Coordination Commission to
Sochi. This Commission was established by the International Olympic
Committee to specifically monitor preparations for the Olympic
Games. Based on recommendations of the Coordination Commission, the
IOC, in particular, takes decisions regarding relocation of
disputed olympic venues. The recommendations may even make the IOC
change the host city of the upcoming Olympics. Among other
objectives of the Commission is to try to resolve all disputes
arising in the course of preparations for Olympic Games including
environmental issues. According to the IOC, during this visit of
the IOC Coordination Commission toSochi construction of Olympic
venues on the Grushevy Ridge will become one of the main topics for
discussion between the IOC and the Russian authorities.
3. Construction plans for the protection belt of the Caucasus
Nature Reserve as well as the high conservation value lands of the
Sochi National Park - the Grushevy Ridge, include the bobsleigh
tracks, mountain Olympic village, a system of hydro-power plants of
river Mzytma, terminal station of the Adler-Grushevaya Polyana
railway and 9 high-end tourist complexes that have nothing to do
with Winter Olympic Games.
4. According to the Olympic Charter, the International Olympic
Committee is to support the olympic movement in its striving for
protection of the environment, and to take all measures to
demonstrate this idea in its actions.