Speaking at the International Paralympic Committee's General Assembly meeting in Beijing, Mills said that integration of Olympic and Paralympic Games planning would be a hallmark of the 2012 London Games.

"London 2012 will stage an integrated Olympic and Paralympic Games that will minimize the planning and operational differences between these two mega multi-sport events," Mills told the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee(IPC).

"For the first time ever, the vision and mission of the IPC of planning for the Paralympic Games by integrating the experience of the Olympic Games will be achieved."

London 2012 athlete ambassador Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, the world's most successful Paralympic athlete, and Tony Sainsbury, London 2012 Paralympic Games and Olympic Village Manager, joined Mills in outlining London's plans to the General Assembly.

Host city organizing committee delegations from Turin 2006, Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2012 also provided progress reports on their plans to stage the Paralympic Games.

Mills said that early planning would also be a hallmark of the London 2012 Games.

"We have already started to integrate the technical planning of our venues following the recent appointment of sports venues specialists to provide technical briefs for the 2012 Games venues," he said.

Mills said that staging the Paralympic Games-- which he described as"one of the world's most exciting and inspiring sporting events and experiences for elite athletes"-- in London would help raise international awareness about the values and benefits of sport.

"We want the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to be a catalyst to inspire a new generation of young people to choose sport," he said. Enditem