Official website of the President of Russia

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Mr President,

I appreciate this opportunity to meet. During my first state visit to Switzerland, in light of the attitude we have always had toward the International Olympic Committee, and the importance we attach to the development of relations between Russia and the International Olympic Committee, I could not but suggest a meeting.

Of course, for us preparations for the 2014 Olympic Games to be held in Sochi are currently the most important thing. We are in constant cooperation and are working hard. But I think there are other issues that need to be discussed as well. And given the fact that the regular session of the International Olympic Committee will be held in the near future, I would like to first and foremost wish you, Mr President, a successful reelection to the presidency.

We are well prepared for our meeting: we have all the officials who are responsible for sport, for the Olympic movement in our country here today. Therefore, we can hold a full-value conversation.

Once again I would like to say that I am very glad to meet with you.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge: Mr President, please let me say that we are very glad to meet you and that you found time in your full schedule to meet with us. And on behalf of the International Olympic Committee I would like to express my gratitude for the support Russia has always shown for our movement.

Your country has won more than 1,000 Olympic medals which puts it among the three leading countries in the world along with China and the United States of America. You have made a huge contribution to the international Olympic movement by organising the Olympic Games in Moscow and now preparing for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.

I am very pleased to note that many Russians involved in the international Olympic movement, including Mr Smirnov [member of the IOC Commission for International Relations] and Mr Usmanov [member of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport, Excellence in Sports, Preparation and Organisation of the 2014 Sochi XXII Winter Olympics and XI Paralympics, and the 2013 Kazan XXVII Summer Universiade], are present here. And I was very gratified to realise that Russia is contributing to the development of our international movement.

I am very pleased to be working with you here in this room. In addition, I am supported in this by Mr Killy [head of the IOC Coordination Commission for Sochi], who cooperates closely with the committee that is preparing the Sochi Games.

I would like to express my best wishes for success and thanks to Mr Chernyshenko [President of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee] for the work he has done.

Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you.

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