Azernews.Az

By Jamila Babayeva

Two groups of a Georgian sports delegation, comprising Vice-president of the National Olympic Committee Mamuka Khabareli and Secretary General Emzar Zenaishvili, will leave for Sochi on February 4 to resolve organizational issues, the committee reported.

Sportsmen and the main staff will leave for Sochi on February 6. Around 19 people, including sportsmen, president of the committee Leri Khabelov and vice-presidents and other officials are among them.Vice President Mamuka Khabareli will head a delegation at the Olympic Village.

Four Georgian sportsmen, namely skiers Nino Tsiklauri, Jason Abramishvili, Alex Benianidze and figure skater Elena Gedevanishvili, who will arrive from Canada to Sochi on February 14 are to take part at Sochi's Olympics. Nino Tsiklauri will carry the Georgian flag at the opening.

The Georgian delegation will leave for Sochi on direct flight. The implementation of direct flights in the direction of Sochi will start on February 4.

The 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be held on February 7-23, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over two rebel regions -South Ossetia and Abkhazia- and later recognized the regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili recently said Georgia not only intends, but is also obliged to assist Russia in ensuring security during the Olympic Games.

"The fight against terrorism is a task of any normal country and in this respect we are cooperating with all countries," he said.

Tbilisi has not received a response from Moscow on a proposal for cooperation on security of the Olympics in Sochi.