MOSCOW, June 18 (RIA Novosti) - Security issues at large-scale sporting and public events, including the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, will become an area of interaction between Russia and the United States, the leaders of the two states said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama met late on Monday on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland.
“The United States and Russia intend to continue to develop their counterterrorism partnership with the business community, including in the field of protecting the tourist sector. Providing security for major sporting and public events, including the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, is to be an important area of interaction,” the two leaders said in a joint statement.
At a news conference after the meeting, Obama reiterated that the two states should enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism and other areas, including public security issues related to next year’s Sochi Olympics.
Security at Sochi will be tight, and test events have taken place with a heavy police presence. The issue came under the spotlight in April when two suspects with links to Russia’s volatile North Caucasus allegedly detonated bombs at the Boston marathon.
Next year's Winter Olympics will be held from February 7 to 23.
