Mr Putin highly praised the contribution made by Mr Samaranch, the IOC’s president, to the development of the international Olympic movement and sports in general. “Your name is known to everyone in Russia,” he said when opening the meeting.
Mr Samaranch thanked Mr Putin for his kind words and recalled that he had first met him several years ago during a visit to St Petersburg.
At the meeting, they discussed Russia’s role in the development of the international Olympic movement.