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It's a great honour to host the Olympic Games.
It's evident that Sochi, the main Russian resort, has been decaying for the last 50 years.
No one paid attention to the city's problems until 2002.
In 1991, when the borders were open, our tourists have got an opportunity
to choose from various world resorts and most often that choice was not in favor of Sochi.
We were not ready for the market competition:
in the soviet times we were certain that Russian tourists will come to Sochi for there is no alternative.
That is why the service in the city was in fact rather poor.
A lot of money was necessary to improve that state of affairs.
We needed some idea, some interesting project to attract Governmental and private investment.
Such idea was found and now Sochi is preparing to host the 2014 Olympic Games.
This gave us great opportunities; we are receiving large sums of money.
800 billion rubles were invested by the Government and 700 rubles - by private investors.
As an economist, I believe that that's not the end; we are now trying to attract further investment.
We have built four new ski resorts, that was done only because of the 2014 Olympic Games are going to be held in Sochi.
These resorts will be open for Russian tourists who like skiing.
European Ski Championships are held these days in Sochi.
This is some kind of test.
We are not 100% ready, but we haven't got much time.
And yet we managed to build necessary facilities, Mr. Potanin has built a new ski resort named "Roza-Khutor"
All infrastructures are prepared.
We have built a new road, a very costly one.
It was a hard job, but now this resorts is believed to be the best in the world.
It really up-to-date.
In addition to development of sports infrastructure, transport system is also developing
as well as the social sphere.
We have built a new hospital in Krasnaya Polyana.
It is well-equipped and can host 150 patients.
This hospital has a very good, modern operating theater.
One may say that it's luxury to build such hospital in Krasnaya Polyana with its 4000 residents.
However I should say that each Olympic facility will be useful after the Olympic Games.
This hospital will be a very good diagnostic center open to the people.
This will help our people, especially elderly ones to prevent serious diseases.
Speaking about the new road, the joint one (it's called joint for it combines a railroad and a highway)
it will be the best road in the history of Winter Olympic Games.
Sochi will provide a ski resort and a beech.
New airport and railway station have already been built.
It will take only 2 minutes to arrive at the railway station "Adler" (that is going to be the main one) from the airport.
At the station people will be able to decide where to go -
to Emereti plain, where the Olympic facilities are being built (it will take 9 minutes),
to Krasnaya Polyana (it will take 26 minutes), or to the center (it will take 8 minutes),
or to Lazarevka (it will take 30 minutes).
That means that infrastructure is unique.
Speaking about the private investment, I should repeat that individuals invested in ski resorts.
Individuals do also invest in the building of the Olympic Park,
where the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place.
A new stadium was build there.
All these facilities will be useful after the Olympics.
Moreover, many of them are built by the private investors.
The stadium will used for the 2018 World Championships,
that means that we won't have to improve our infrastructure after the Olympics, everything will be ready.
We only have to attract tourist from all over the world.
We have already built a new airport, and we are very pleased that international companies are ready to start flights.
Some such flights have already been started.
We are doing our best to attract international tourists.
In the last several years Sochi has been visited by about 300 international tourists a year,
that doesn't make city an international resort.
The reason of such unpopularity is the absence of necessary infrastructure.
Tourists want to have a rest, to have no problems with transportation and good service.
We are trying to provide them with all this.