(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)
Seven years ago, in its bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2014, Russia told the International Olympic Committee it would stage a secure, green and modern Games.
Russia looks set to fulfil the 'green' and 'modern' promises, but concerns have been raised over security and human rights in the lead-up to the biggest global event in winter sports.
Darren Mara has this report.
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The official advertisement for the Sochi Winter Games teems with optimism as it displays the venues, mountains and sea around the small city.
Tourists from around the world will be heading to the Black Sea resort in their droves for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Russia has poured $12-billion into the Games in the hope it'll benefit not only Sochi, but all of Russia.
New roads, new infrastructure, new venues - for two and a half weeks, the city of just over 300,000 inhabitants will become a global sports hub.
The Olympic Games in Sochi will be holding events in 15 disciplines of seven winter sports, with over two and a half thousand athletes in total expected to participate.
Australia will be sending its biggest-ever team to a Winter Games.
By the time all qualifying has concluded, it should include up to 60 athletes.
The Sochi Organizing Committee has promised the Games will be the most compact in the history of the Olympics movement.
In Russia's official bid for the 2014 event, the country's President Vladimir Putin made this promise to the International Olympic Committee and the millions of prospective spectators who would travel to Sochi for the Games:
"The bid has enthusiastic support of the whole of Russia. We pledge to make the stay of Olympians and Paralympians, spectators, journalists, guests in Sochi a safe, enjoyable and memorable experience."
But whilst the Games are sure to thrill, confidence in athletes' safety has been rocked of late.
Southern Russia has been hit by two recent deadly suicide attacks, which together claimed 34 lives.
President Putin has vowed to annihilate those behind the bombings, and the United States has offered full security co-operation in preparation for the Games.
The chef de mission of the Australian Olympic Team, Ian Chesterman, says he agrees with the IOC that Russia will be able to deliver a safe Games in Sochi.
"Security is an issue for every country and for every town organising an Olympic Games and we have been given assurances from the highest levels of the Russian government that the security will be very tight in Russia and Sochi. They are fully committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our athletes in Sochi and we remain confident that they will do so."
The Australian Olympic Committee has announced that athletes won't be allowed to travel or train outside Sochi for the duration of the Games.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says her department has been taking part in AOC meetings and that contingency consular arrangements are in place, if needed.
And she told Channel Nine Australian authorities will continue to closely monitor the security situation in Russia.
"We would not lightly prevent our athletes from competing in an Olympic Games that they have been training for for years. That's why we're monitoring the situation very carefully, we're working closely with the Russian authorities and of course we have people on the ground in Russia who are providing feedback. We'll be monitoring the situation carefully over the days leading up to the Olympics. Indeed, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade takes part in the meetings of the Australian Olympic Committee, the Paralympic Committee so that we have a co-ordinated response."
Russia has also come in for criticism from rights groups in the approach to the Winter Games.
There's been focus on the arrest of 30 Greenpeace activists last year over a protest against Arctic oil drilling, and the imprisonment of members of the anti-government punk group Pussy Riot.
The Greenpeace activists and the musicians have all been released under a government amnesty initiated by President Putin.
But they say their release was timed to improve Russia's image before the Sochi Games.
Alexandra Harris was among the Greenpeace group freed.
"I believe we are free because of the Olympics and the pressure from the media and all our supporters. So, you know, it's not great that we got amnesty because it's like them saying they're still saying that they forgive us for what we did and we didn't do anything wrong. However, at the same time I'm glad this case is over."
In its criticism of Russia, human rights group Amnesty International has focused on recent government decrees it says will curtail peaceful protests and impose heavy fines on rally organisers.
It also attacks what it calls homophobic legislation it says will restrict freedom of expression and assembly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Intersex people.
Amnesty says the laws have already encouraged homophobic violence around Russia.
Denis Krivosheev is Amnesty's Russia researcher.
"In less than two years, new laws were adopted that have changed the country significantly. Demonstrations are now much more difficult to organise, there are new prisoners of conscience, NGOs are obliged by law to call themselves foreign agents and if they refuse to do so, they are awarded heavy fines and their leaders face criminal prosecution. One of the laws is openly discriminatory against LGBTI people, blasphemy is now a crime. Behind the glitter of celebration there will be many people who do not see the reasons to celebrate what has happened to Russia."
The Sochi Games will be held from the 6th to the 23rd of February.
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