Ecological revenge

Georgia is preparing the ground for a boycott of the Sochi Olympics

The Georgian authorities are launching a campaign designed to raise doubts among the world community about the possibility of holding the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. According to Vremya Novostei, the emphasis will be on both political issues and the environmental component. During October, hearings will be held in the Georgian parliament at which tactics and strategies for action on the anti-Olympic front will be determined.

Georgia does not intend to rush into public calls to boycott the Olympics in Sochi - after all, for this it is necessary to prepare the appropriate ground. But Tbilisi is also not going to postpone further actions for a long time. The first step was President Mikheil Saakashvili's speech at the UN summit in New York in September. He stated that with the preparation of the Sochi Games, environmental problems had arisen in neighboring “occupied” Abkhazia, since its natural resources were “swimming away for the construction of Olympic facilities.” The Georgian leader asked the international community to monitor the situation, since the territory of Abkhazia is “outside the control” of Tbilisi.

Following this, the Georgian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources accused Russia of “destroying the unique ecological system” of Abkhazia. The removal of materials to construction sites in Sochi could allegedly lead to erosion of the coastline and create environmental problems for all countries in the Black Sea basin. "The Olympic Games should promote peace and friendship between peoples without causing irreversible damage to the environment," the ministry said. Yesterday, the head of the department, Georgy Khachidze, addressed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe with a request to pay attention to “the environmental barbarism happening in Abkhazia due to the upcoming Olympics in Sochi.”

In an interview with Vremya Novostey, the leader of the Georgian Green Party, Georgiy Gachechiladze, recalled that according to the Charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the games “must be held in accordance with environmental requirements,” and the IOC is obliged to show “responsibility and concern for environmental protection, ensure compliance with environmental principles in the development of sports.” According to Mr. Gachechiladze, “millions of cubic meters of inert materials are being exported from Abkhazia, directly from the coastal zone,” and this is an “ecological disaster.”

The chairman of the Georgian parliamentary commission for the restoration of the territorial integrity of Georgia, Shota Malashkhia, told Vremya Novostey that not only politicians, but also environmentalists will be invited to the upcoming hearings (since “we can already talk about $15 billion in damage caused to the Abkhaz ecosystem”) , as well as representatives of the Georgian Olympic Committee and non-governmental organizations. “We are not directly talking about a boycott of the Games, but pointing out violations of the charter in various respects,” explained Mr. Malashkhia. - First, we will propose that the IOC appeal to Russia to rectify the situation. Firstly, this should concern the return of Abkhazia to the jurisdiction of Georgia and the withdrawal of the Russian military from Abkhazia. Secondly, we need to deal with the environment. If Russia does not comply with this, it will be possible to talk about moving the Olympics outside this country. We especially count on the understanding of those IOC members who boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow because of the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. The parallels with our situation should be obvious to them.”

After the armed conflict in 2008, Moscow recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia , and Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia. Before this, Mikheil Saakashvili spoke only about “certain risks,” since the Games are being held near the conflict zone, but the Olympics, according to him, could become “useful” for resolving regional problems. Nowadays in Georgia they are increasingly remembering that the capital of the Games is located only 120 kilometers from Sukhumi.

Deputy Chairman of the Government of Georgia Georgy Baramidze in an interview with Vremya Novostei harshly stated that “holding the Olympics in a country whose military occupies the territory of another state contradicts the principles of the Olympic movement.” Press secretary of the Georgian National Olympic Committee Kakha Beridze told Vremya Novostey that this organization does not have the right to call on colleagues from the Olympic committees of other countries to boycott the Sochi Olympics, but “provides relevant information about the problems.”

Mikhail VIGNANSKY, Tbilisi