Saakashvili Proposes Joint Russo-Georgian C’ttee for ‘Safe Environment’ for Sochi Olympics

President Saakashvili has proposed to set up a joint Russo-Georgian committee to secure “a safe environment” for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, which is less than 40 kilometers from breakaway Abkhazia.

“When we talk about the Sochi Olympics, of course it is related to security in the region,” Saakashvili said at a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Tbilisi on July 10.

“We will be more than pleased to set up a joint committee with the Russian Federation on preparation of safe and successful environment for the Sochi Olympic – including economic issues, including cooperation issues, including border issues, migration and movement of people issues – everything that concerns the Sochi Olympic,” he said. “We had this proposal before and we are proposing it again formally – this joint committee with the Russian government to facilitate the Sochi Olympic and to avoid any possible problems there.”

Saakashvili also said the Sochi Olympic Games were “a good chance for the peace in the region.”

Peter Semneby, the EU’s special envoy for the South Caucasus, said on July 9 in Tbilisi that the Sochi Olympics could be the common ground on which Tbilisi and Moscow build mutually acceptable security cooperation.

“Ultimately, stability in this region should be obviously in Georgia and also in Russia’s interest,” he said. “As an example, the Sochi Olympics may seem far away – it’s almost six years – but fact that the planning and preparations for the Sochi Olympic are already underway, should underline this joint interest of stability."

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