Moscow vice-mayor Valeri Shantsev has said on Friday that the committee prompting Moscow's candidacy as the host of the 2012 Olympic Games has filed at the International Olympic Committee the competitor application. The questionnaire answers 25 questions covering the basic aspects of the Olympics host city.
It lays down the concept for arranging the sports competitions, housing the athletes and their delivery to the sites of competitions. In addition, it minutely describes the principles of intended construction and updating of the sports and other Olympic facilities.
The form cites official guarantees confirming Moscow's obligations as the would-be Olympic host city, undersigned by Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov and Leonid Tyagachev, chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee.
The International Olympic Committee will take a decision to give the contender-cities the official candidate status after considering the questionnaires at the IOC executive committee sitting in May 2004.
At the first stage /2003/ of the Olympic race, Moscow spent 10.5 million dollars. If the IOC gives it the candidate statute, Moscow's Olympic preparations budget will be greatly increased to 14.5 million dollars. In case Moscow wins in the Olympics 2012 contest, the planned income will come up to 940 million dollars.
According to the plan of preparations for the 30th summer Olympics, Moscow will get 230 top-class hotels, an Olympic press centre for 1,700 journalists, as well as a large Olympic Village.
In the opinion of Shantsev, Moscow stands a good chance of winning in the contest and hosting the 2012 Olympic Games. "Our city has all it takes for that", the Moscow vice-mayor said.
Muscovites' and Russians' approach to hosting the Olympics is also important. According to the poll held by the ROMIR Monitoring Co., 90 percent of Muscovites and 89 percent of Russians are in favour of holding the games in Moscow.
The Moscow summer Olympic Games are projected to be held on July 14 through 29.
