Russian officials hope projects will calm Caucasus

Russian officials say they hope economic development in the North Caucasus, including Olympics preparations, will bring peace to the violence-wracked region. The government proposes to spend $22.6 billion to build seven ski resorts in the mountains and beach developments along the Caspian Sea, The Washington Post reported Sunday. Up to 300,000 jobs could be created by the resorts, predicted Akhmed Bilalov, chairman of the Northern Caucasus Resorts. Sochi, one of the largest cities in the Muslim-dominated region, will host the 2014 Winter Olympics and officials say they hope the development will ease tensions and reduce violence. About 574 violent deaths have been reported so far this year in the North Caucasus, home to Islamic fundamentalists and separatist groups. Critics are dubious about success of the plans Roads to the proposed ski resorts are narrow, winding through small villages. Hotels are few and the nearest airport is 125 miles away. Supply chains for everything that will have to be built, including power grids and sewers, do not exist. In expectation of the criticism, foreign experts have been brought in, including Gernot Leitner, an Austrian architect and sports professional. He says the geography for the ski runs is comparable to that of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. With 20 percent of Russians expected to have middle-class incomes within eight years, Leitner says 30 million people will have money to spend on vacations. One of the biggest hurdles may be corruption, says Alexei Malashenko, an expert on the North Caucasus at the Carnegie Moscow Center. "Eliminating corruption is impossible because corruption comes from Moscow," he said.