A Moscow deputy mayor said on Friday that celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games will be held as part of the forum Russia Is A Sport Power from July 29 to August 1 at the Luzhniki Sports Center.

“A total of 92 athletes will attend the forum, including the winners of the 1980 Olympics from different countries,” Sergei Baidakov said.

He also mentioned that 17 presidents of sports federations, 81 foreign delegates and over 2,500 delegates from Russian regions confirmed their participation in the forum.

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the Sochi 2014 Olympic Park Wednesday to check the progress being made on its construction.

The Olympic Park which is scheduled to open in March 2013 was toured by Putin together with Taymuraz Bolloev, Head of Olympstroy, who provided the Prime Minister with an update on the park’s construction, including the Central Stadium, Bolshoi and Maliy Ice Palaces, and Olympic Skating Center.

The Prime Minister was shown an artist’s impression of the Bolshoi Ice Palace so that he could compare it to the construction project.

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The "Aqua-jazz" successfully took place on the 17th and 18th of July during the Cultural Olympiad in the Olympic City. Well-known jazzmen performed music in different genres, like funk, electro jazz, straight ahead, jazz-rock, fusion in front of thousands of viewers on the stage of Green theatre in Riviera Park. The festival opened with “jazz parade” starting from the “Moscow” hotel to the Green Theatre in Riviera park, where the concerts took place.

The real treat for the guests was the performance by Igor Butman, the world-class saxophonist, the winner of State Award of Russian Federation for literature and arts, who performed with such music legends as Ray Charles, George Benson, El Gero. In Sochi he also performed as a producer of the festival.

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Russian Railways is building a rail line which connects Adler to Sochi Airport. This new intermodal line will ensure comfortable high-speed transport for visitors as well as participants at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.  It has an estimated capacity of more than 86,000 people per day, or up to 60% of all air passengers traveling to the Olympics. The line is due to be launched in 2012. Building and assembly work are progressing ahead of schedule, and preparation work has been concluded early. The construction of a bridge across the Bolshaya Khirota river has been completed, the building frame of the airport station’s passenger terminal is almost ready, and one of the flyovers is nearing completion. Currently, a total of three flyovers and two tunnels are to be constructed on the 2.76-km highway. Preparatory work has already started on tunnel No. 1, while on tunnel No. 2, a total of 294 metres (88%) has been built and the drainage system is almost complete. By this year’s end, tunneling work is scheduled to be finished, road-laying work is to start on two flyovers, and equipment installation will begin at the airport station’s passenger pavilion.

Russia makes another history due to a 21-21 draw with Romania in Sochi. This also qualifies the team for their first Rugby World Cup. The Russian rugby team is already assured of their 2011 place since no other team has overtaken them for the second place in the European Nations Cup table.Meanwhile, Spain was defeated by Georgia 17-9 in order to qualify for the Rugby World Cup even with two games remaining. Ultimately, a win between Russia and Georgia will decide which team will face-off with England, Argentina and Scotland in Pool B in New Zealand. As for the runners-up of the European Nations cup, they will play against USA, Italy, Australia and Ireland in Pool C.On the other hand, Portugal and Romania would have to battle it out for the 3rd spot. The one who comes out on top will either face the winner of the European Nations Cup Division 2A or Lithuania to be able to join a cross-continental play off that will determine the final Pool B job at the World Cup. The other place at Rugby World Cup 2011 with the Asian qualifier will be decided from the winner of the Asian Five Nations.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2010 in Vancouver will be a significant milestone for the Sochi 2014 programme, since it is in Vancouver that Russia’s Sochi will officially take over and become the focus of the next Winter Games. In accordance with the regulations laid down by the International Olympic Committee, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee is obliged to present its vision for the Sochi 2014 Games in Canada, as well as showcasing the city and country which, in four years time, will be the focus of attention for millions of people in the rest of the world. Read the complete Post.

INTERFAX-REAL ESTATE - China supports the holding of a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2012 in Vladivostok and the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi, said the Ambassador of China in Russia Li.

“China’s leaders have repeatedly said that the Chinese government firmly supports the holding of the APEC summit in Russia in 2012 and the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014″ - a Chinese diplomat said in a statement to Russian media, was circulated on the eve of the 60 th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the establishment of Russia -Chinese diplomatic relations.

“We encourage Chinese enterprises to actively participate in the construction of relevant infrastructure facilities, we are willing to share their experience with partners in Russia”, - said Ambassador of China, where the 2008 Summer Olympic Games were held.

“I am sure that Russia is sure to successfully undertake both the grandiose event”, - said Li.

INTERFAX-Real Estate: Russia will present at the International Exhibition of Information Technology 5-9 October in Geneva, infrastructure projects, including preparations for the Sochi Olympic Games and the Kazan Universiade-2013, said Minister of Communications and Mass Communications Igor Shchyogolev.

“We intend to present at the forum serious infrastructure projects, in particular, we intend to elaborate on what we do in Sochi by 2014, what will we do in Vladivostok (for the APEC summit - IF) and at the Universiade in Kazan in 2013 “, - said I. Shchegolev at a meeting of the Presidium of the RF Government on Friday.

The Minister noted that the upcoming forum in Geneva is one of the most respected in the world in the field of information technology. “This is a forum of intelligent and rich” - he said.

Source: Interfax Real-Estate

A new international airport terminal at Sochi Airport could be fully commissioned in February-March of 2010, told Interfax General Director of Bazel Aero Sergey Likharev.

According to him, the Sochi airport has already begun to test operation of the sector “B” in the new terminal.

“Currently, we have already mastered the construction of a new terminal, about 3.8 billion rubles, including over 2 billion rubles own, and about 1.7 billion rubles borrowed funds. However, about 2 billion rubles are expected to master by the end of the year, as well as still about 1 billion over the next two years “, - added S. Likharev.

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Dmitry Kozak, the current Regional Developement Minister has been appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister who will be overseeing the preparations for the Sochi 2014  Winter Olympics.

Considered to be a highly efficient crisis manager in Putin’s team, he is well respected by his peers and authorities. Kozak will be managing the entire construction preparations for the Winter Olympics where his responsibilities would include the construction of sporting facilities. Read the complete Post.