Border checkpoint on Georgian-Russian border resumes operation.

TBILISI, March 1 (Itar-Tass) - The Verkhny Lars (Russia) - Kazbegi
(Georgia) customs and border checkpoint, the only one on the
Georgian-Russian border, will resume operation on Monday after a more than
three-year interval.
The passage of individuals, transport vehicles, cargoes and animals
via the Kazbegi and Verkhny Lars will be carried out in accordance with
the Georgian and Russian laws, respectively.
Representatives of the Georgian Foreign Ministry explained that no
preferential treatment in border crossings would be given to Georgian or
Russian nationals who live in territories adjacent to the checkpoints from
both sides of the Georgian-Russian frontier.
"All Georgian and Russian citizens who want to cross the border via
these checkpoints will have to get visas in the section of Russian
interests at the Swiss embassy in Tbilisi and the section of Georgian
interests at the Swiss embassy in Moscow," the Georgian Foreign Ministry
went on to say
According to the rules applicable in Georgia since 2006, Russian
nationals who enter the country by sea or by air can obtain visas straight
at airports or Georgia's maritime ports.
On February 28, Alexander Solod, the press service chief of the
Federal Security Service border department for North Ossetia, told
Itar-Tass in Vladikavkaz that from March 1 to November 1 those two
checkpoints would be open to automobile transport from 6 o'clock in the
morning until 10 o'clock in the evening; and from 7:00 to 9:00 in the
winter season.
On July 8, 2006 Russia announced that it was closing its part of the
checkpoint at Verkny Lars for repairs. On May 5, 2009, the Russian
authorities reported the end of repair works. The Kazbegi customs and
border checkpoint opened in September 2009 with U.S. financial support.
Armenia whose only automobile road to Russia lies through the
aforesaid checkpoints is particularly interested in the resumption of
traffic via them.

.Closing ceremony of the 21st Winter Olympic games begins in Vancouver
.

SOCHI, March 1 (Itar-Tass) - A closing ceremony of the 21st Olympic
Games has begun in Vancouver.

. Sochi to receive the Olympic flag.

SOCHI, March 1 (Itar-Tass) - A holiday devoted to the handover of the
Olympic flag from Vancouver to Sochi, the capital of the next winter
Olympic Games, will be held in the Russian Black Sea town on Monday.
This solemn moment will come at a time when Jacques Rogue, the
president of the International Olympic Committee, will receive the flag
from the mayor of Vancouver, Gregory Robertson, and hand it over to the
Sochi Mayor, Anatoly Pakhomenko.
The flag handover ceremony will be broadcast live on big screens in
the centre of Sochi, the capital of the 2014 Olympic games. A source at
the Sochi administration told Itar-Tass that thousands of local residents
and guests of Sochi would watch the festive ceremony. The program will
include performances by well-known athletes, DJs and the city's creative
collectives.
Dmitry Chernyshenko, the president of the Sochi-2014 Organizing
Committee, said last Saturday that legendary Russian athletes and
well-known artists would present Sochi to the world. Moscow that hosted
the 1980 Summer Olympic games would join Sochi for the flag receiving
ceremony. In the end of the show, the audiences at the BC Place arena will
be able to touch upon the Sochi games mascot: a small transparent ball
with a miniature model of the Sochi landscape and colourful lamps in the
centre. The lights will illuminate the stands in the colours of the
Russian national flag, as the Olympic banner will be handed over to the
mayor of Sochi.

.The Olympic flag handed over to Sochi mayor.

VANCOUVER, March 1 (Itar-Tass) - The Olympic flag has been handed over
to Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov. The Black Sea city of Sochi will host the
next Winter Olympic Games in 2014.
During the closing ceremony IOC President Jacques Rogge received the
Olympic flag from Vancouver Mayor Gregoy Robertson and handed it to the
Mayor of Sochi. The flag of Russia was hoisted over the stadium which was
followed by an eight-minute presentation of Sochi, the capital of the 2014
Olympic games.

.IOC president declares the 21st Winter Olympic games closed.

VANCOUVER, March 1 (Itar-Tass) -- President of the International
Olympic Committee Jaqcues Rogge has declared the 21st Winter Olympic Games
over.
The relay for holding the next 22nd Winter Olympic Games was handed
over to Sochi.

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