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While being concerned with $1-2 billion spent on the Baku 2015 European Games, the BBC is silent regarding the $15 billion spent on the London Olympics. Why is that?

Just a few days are left for the inauguration of the European Games. As a milestone event in the history of the “Old Continent”, the European Games will bring together 6,000 athletes from 50 countries.

Holding of the European Games was a subject of long debates and consequently, bearing in mind the contribution of continental level games to sports, the decision about these innovative Games was taken.

The Baku European Games feature 12 athletic disciplines out of 20, that will provide licenses for Rio-2016 Summer Olympics. Azerbaijan once again demonstrated that hosting such a high caliber event as the First European Games, and making it a festivity for all Europe, the country can become Europe's partner in not just an energy field, but in humanitarian field as well.

Unfortunately, as the opening of the Games gets closer, the attacks and the insincerity of some European circles towards Azerbaijan has increased and is obvious.

Back in 2012, Germany was the driving force behind the anti-Azerbaijani campaign. Today, this mission is carried by the United Kingdom. Such famous media outlets as BBC, the Guardian, the Sunday Times and others continue to release groundless, unrealistic and biased publications aimed at BP, which acts as a sponsor for the European Games, as well as urging for protests in front of Azerbaijan's embassy in London.

As the biggest media corporation of the UK, BBC, continues its negative attitude towards Azerbaijan and severity of such smear campaign is clearly seen. It is not accidental that BBC is assuming the role of Western and particularly UK media raises different absurd issues and sets agenda for other media outlets.

One of such issues that BBC is pushing on - is that Azerbaijan's government reportedly spent fantastic funds for holding the European Games. BBC claims that the only goal is to propagate Azerbaijan through these Games. BBC expresses concern that with the plummeting of oil prices, and decrease of the revenues, how Azerbaijan will manage to overcome all of these expenditures.

BBC also claims that the European Games will not bring any revenues. It is interesting why BBC is so worried about Azerbaijan? Why is it more interested in how Azerbaijan will manage the situation rathern than look at the problems within the UK itself?

Why hasn't the BBC raised the issue of $15 billion that was spent on the London Olympics, while the world was going through the economic crisis?

The London Olympics wasn't profitable to start off with, as the profits amounted to only 52.80 million pounds.

Before making the decision on holding the London Olympics and submitting an application to the International Olympic Committee, the UK Government stated that expenditure for holding the Olympics will be 4.2 billion pounds. Why didn't the BBC try to investigate how this sum got tripled? And also why the BBC was completely silent about Canada expecting only 150 million CAD of revenues while the XVII Pan-American Games would cost$2.5 billion to hold?

This is while Azerbaijan has always put an emphasis on development of sports infrastructure. When the country adopted the state program on development of sport infrastructure, when sports facilities were being built all over the country, there wasnt' anything said with regards to the European Games at all.

The decision on holding of European Games in Baku was adopted at the 41th General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees in Rome on December 8th, 2012.
Decision on construction of three sport facilities out of five – Baku Olympic Stadium, National Gymnastics Arena and Baku Aquatics Centre was made long before the European Games.

The construction of National Gymnastic Arena started on August 26th 2009. The foundation of Baku Olympic Stadium was laid on July 6th, 2011. President Ilham Aliyev signed a Decree on construction of Baku Aquatics Centre on August 30th, 2012.

Obviously, BBC's claims that Azerbaijan spent a large amount of finances, is nothing but groundless, biased propaganda.

It should be noted that in general, countries that host Olympics or European Games-type of events are not expecting to gain profit. The purpose of such events is to promote the values of the Olympics themselves, showcase the country and to demonstrate the political and economic power. It is also a rich experience to gain.

This year alongside with the European Games, Pan American Games will also be held. The Games will start on July 10th. But BBC is reluctant to investigate this case. Toronto will host the Pan-American Games and the budget of the event is $2.5 billion. Some $567 million was spent on construction of the Athlete village alone. Another $190 million was spent on security, $70 million on transportation, $60 million on torch relay. Why doesn't BBC care to investigate the spending of $60 million on torch relay?

Let's get back to the 2012 London Olympics. Experts suggest that the BBC should've investigated the claims of British NGOs about the fact that actual expenditures of the Olympics exceeded the initial budget by three times.

Aforementioned facts once again prove that BBC is nothing but a propaganda machine, with groundless, cheap accusations. This propaganda mouthpiece has already gained popularity with its Islamophobic and anti-Turk policy.

Azerbaijan's adherence to advanced ideas, development and its strengthening the capability to host global level events cannot but irritate the BBC and its owners.
Guided by the values of Islamophobia, BBC normally presents Muslim States as backward, stricken with internal problems and conflicts. Azerbaijan, as a developing country with independent policy and as regional center, is alien to the Western propaganda and mouthpieces, such as BBC.

Back in 2012, BBC tried to downgrade Azerbaijan, while presenting a man named Ramin Hakimov, with oil puddles in the background. Today, the BBC cannot deal with the fact there are grandiose parks, world class buildings on these puddles.

By hosting the first ever European Games and defining its standards, and presenting the new image of dynamically developing Muslim Azerbaijan, reduces all the efforts of Islamophobic circles and their propaganda to zero.

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