The ceremony was held during the 2011 Peace and Sport Forum in front of 500 world decision-makers from sports and politics

A delegation which also included Natalya Parshikova, the Deputy Sport Minister of Russia, and Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President and chief executive of Sochi 2014, were there to watch Pakhomov receive the flag. 

"Through the Peace and Sport Forum we aim to raise awareness among political and sports leaders about sport's extraordinary capacity to create a genuine and sustainable culture of peace," said Pakhomov.

"Where better to hold it than Sochi - the crossroads of so many cultures across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

"We are honoured to have such a fantastic opportunity to show the very best of Sochi to the world and play an active role in promoting sport as a means for creating sustainable peace."

Earlier this month Sochi hosted Generations for Peace for the second consectutive year. 


"It is a great honour to host such a significant event in Sochi in 2012," said Chernyshenko (pictured).

"Peace and Sport is an inspiring example of how sport can promote understanding and tolerance, while acting as a highly effective tool to create a lasting peace in regions across the world.

"The event will become an integral part of a dedicated Sochi 2014 Olympic Truce concept, already being developed into real peace-making initiatives that are leaving a sustainable legacy today and resulting in major transformational changes across Russia."

Bouzou is confident that the event will prove a success.

"Russia is a country which plays, and will increasingly play, a pivotal role in international relations during the 21st century, a country with a deep and admired passion for sport and for its values," he said.

"In line with the efforts of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee to actively encourage dialogue between cultures and nations, the Peace and Sport International Forum 2012 in Sochi, its first ever international iteration, will help build greater understanding, friendship and respect across borders."

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