BEIJING, Jan. 18 -- A three-day seminar currently being held in Beijing and the opening of a new representative office are giving the organizers of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games a chance to learn the experiences of the previous two hosts.

    Led by Major General Sotirios Tsenes, a group of four security experts from Athens, the host city of the 2004 Games, came to meet officials of Beijing Olympic Security Co-ordination Group. At the same time, the representative office of the Sydney-Beijing Olympic Secretariat was inaugurated.

    With the arrival of the Greek Olympic security experts, co-operation in Olympic security was officially launched between Beijing and Athens.

    "The foundation of successful security work during the Olympic Games is to predict all the potential dangers and make advanced preparations," suggested Tsenes. "Strengthening international co-operation with experienced organizations is also important."

    During the 2004 Games, Athens spent an unprecedented US$1.5 billion on security. It received regular security advice from several countries, including the United States and Britain

    Besides the security issue, the Beijing organizers will get more support from Australian experts after the opening of a permanent China representative office of Sydney-Beijing Olympic Secretariat (SBOS) yesterday.

    "Australian support for Beijing has a long history," said Sandy Hollway, senior adviser of SBOS and also the chief executive officer of the Sydney Olympics organizing committee.

    "The work of SBOS since 2001 has been of great mutual benefit to Australia and to Beijing. Our office in China will be a continuous channel of communication and a continuous mechanism for co-operation between Australia and Beijing."

    Sydney staged the Olympic Games in 2000. It was described as "the most successful Olympic Games ever" by Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee at the time.

(Source: China Daily)