Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan`s Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov participated in the 125th session of International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On the sidelines of the event Mr. Rahimov mulled with the leadership of the European Olympic Committee (EOC), including its president Patrick Hickey, preparation to the 1st European Games to be held in Baku in 2015.

Rahimov also met chairman of the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games Lord Sebastyan Coe, and president of the World Sport Press Association Gianni Merlo during the visit.

At the 41st EOC General Assembly in Rome on December 7-8, 2012, the 49 National Olympic Committees of Europe voted by an overwhelming majority of 84 percent approval in a secret ballot for Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to be the host city for the inaugural European Games in 2015. The opening ceremony of the European Games, an historical event for the European world of sports and culture, will take place on Friday, June 12, 2015 and the closing ceremony on Sunday, June 28, 2015.

This is another example of the commitment of Azerbaijan to promoting and developing sports in the country and internationally. The fact that Azerbaijan has been entrusted to host the Games taking place for the first time in the history of Europe indicates high appreciation by the international and European Olympic movement of the country's dedication, efforts and achievements in the field of sports and culture.