Baku 2015 reaches Romania

/By AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

Baku 2015 European Games were presented at the Romanian State Olympic Committee on February 12.

The event was organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Romania and the representation center of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the country.

As the biggest sporting event in Azerbaijan's history, Baku 2015 European Games will attract more than 6,000 athletes to represent 50 countries in 20 sports on June 12-28. At present, the world is getting acquainted with the games through presentations.

The ceremony attracted the heads of sports federations of Romania, Romanian athletes who will take part in the first European Games, officials, leading travel companies of the country, government and non-government agencies, representatives of the Azerbaijani community and journalists.

Iqbal Hajiyev, Head of the Foundation's office in Romania, told about the newly built and reconstructed sports facilities, conditions created for athletes, the Olympic Village.

He mentioned the beauty of Baku, the Old City, the Seaside Park, the newly constructed Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

Following, the event, the participants saw the film dedicated to Azerbaijan’s preparation to this historic event.

Alin Petrache, Romanian National Olympic Committee Head, and Romanian Minister of Youth and Sports, Olympic champion Gabriela Szabo also addressed the event. They stressed activities carried out in order to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Baku-2015 is a great opportunity for young athletes to test their strength, they said, and appreciated care and attention to the development of sport in Azerbaijan, as well as efforts to build a healthy society.

Farid Abdinbekov, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Romania noted the importance of the European Games for Baku as a host city.

He said Azerbaijan is holding competitions of the European and global scale at the highest level.

Konul Nurullayeva, Head of the International Relations Department of the National Olympic Committee, familiarized the participants with the nature and purpose of the games, provided information on the sports represented here. She named the reasons for selection of Baku to hold the games, and noted that Azerbaijan is always ready to hold the high-level events.

The event participants were also addressed by Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees via a video message.

Hickey wished success to all the athletes of the inaugural games.