Official website of the President of Russia

News   /

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, Mr Bach, dear Thomas, let me once again wish you a warm welcome to Russia.

It is always a pleasure to continue the contacts we have with the International Olympic Committee and to have the chance not just to meet, but also to discuss our work together.

It is with great pleasure that I will update the President of the International Olympic Committee on what we are doing to develop Sochi’s Olympic legacy, present our plans for the Olympic University’s subsequent development, and discuss opportunities for holding future joint events in Russia through the International Olympic Committee.

Russia has always supported the Olympic movement and will continue to do so. In this respect, I want to say again that we hope very much indeed for fruitful work together. Thank you.

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach (translated from Russian): Thank you very much, Mr President, for another friendly meeting here in Russia, in Sochi.

This is a particularly special visit for me as it comes a year after what was a successful Olympic Games in Sochi. I want to take the opportunity to congratulate you once again on organising a magnificent Olympics and to thank you for this.

This visit fills me with even more positive emotions when, over the course of my brief stay here in Sochi, I have had the chance to see just how well you are developing the Sochi Olympics’ legacy.

I was at the Federation Cup match yesterday. The curling world championship was taking place at the same time. There was also the chance to test out cars on the Formula One track. The director of one of the hotels, with whom I had a chance to talk, said he was happy with the occupancy rates at his hotel.

I also had the chance to see how the Olympic legacy is thriving today. For example, I met a student at the Russian [International] Olympic University, who has finished his studies and is now working here at this congress. Once the congress is over, he will return home to Kazakhstan, where he plans to continue working for the sports movement. This is practical implementation of the common goals that we set when we decided to establish the Olympic University. This makes me very keen to continue our cooperation.

We have much in common with the Russian Olympic Committee and both sides want to keep developing this cooperation for the benefit of sports in Russia.

As we know, the Sochi Olympics were not just an organisational but also an economic success. In this situation, the International Olympic Committee has decided to renounce its share of the profit made by the Games and has sent it instead to the Russian Olympic Committee so that the money can be spent on developing sport in Russia.

We are ready and want to continue developing our sports cooperation with Russia, and I therefore look forward to the exchange of views ahead, at which we will probably discuss our joint projects.

Thank you very much for the Russian hospitality that we once again experienced. I am happy to have this meeting in Sochi.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

<…>