Radio Free Europe reports the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Marat Bariev, says Georgia’s call for a boycott of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games will fail. He said he doubts other countries will support the Georgian initiative.
Bariev said “almost none” of the more than 40 countries participating in an assembly of European Olympic Committees last week in Belgrade support the Georgian initiative.
He added, “the Olympics is always about peace. The position of the Georgian authorities is different. They are trying to go against the people’s will. They have no support here, and we don’t worry about (the call for a boycott). I think the Georgian authorities are making a move against themselves. They will have no support”.
Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze said last week that it is “immoral” for a country that is occupying its neighbour’s territory to host an event such as the Olympics just 10 kilometres away from the occupied territory. He added, that “holding the Olympics in Sochi is not only immoral, but also dangerous” in light of the unstable situation in the North Caucasus, reports Radio Free Europe.
