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First lady Mehriban Aliyeva attends presentation of Baku 2015 European Games in Moscow
A ceremony has been held in Moscow to present Baku 2015 European Games.
Azerbaijan`s first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Chair of the Baku 2015 European Games Organising Committee Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony.
Azerbaijan`s first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Chair of the Baku 2015 European Games Organising Committee Mehriban Aliyeva, vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva arrived at the Congress Centre of the Hotel Ukraine.
Co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Azerbaijan`s Embassy to the Russian Federation, the event was attended by Russian public and political figures, representatives of the international sports community and other high-level guests.
The guests first viewed an exhibition devoted to Baku-2015. The guests were handed various publications of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation about Azerbaijan, including Baku 2015 Games.
Host of the event DmitriyShepelev said the fact the first European Games would be held in Baku testified to Azerbaijan`s image on the international arena. “This event, which is of profound political, economic and cultural importance, is an evidence of Azerbaijan`s successes achieved in the sport field in the past few years.”
Azerbaijan`s first lady, Chair of the Baku 2015 European Games Organising Committee Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the ceremony.
The event also heard a speech by President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov. He said the European Olympic Committee made “an important and right decision – Europe needed its own Games”. Mr Zhukov said: “This is good that the First European Games was entrusted to grandiose Baku, Azerbaijan. This is really right decision. We know how Azerbaijanis love sport. We also know Baku has excellently hosted several huge competitions and has great experience in this field”.
The event then featured demonstration of a film about preparation for Baku-2015.
Baku was awarded the Games by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in December 2012. The Baku European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC) will organise and run the Games in co-operation with the EOC.
There will be a total of 20 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across Europe will be representing their nations over 17 days of competition.
