Ilham Aliyev received members of the Coordination Committee of the 2015 European Olympic Games due to be held in Baku

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received members of the Coordination Committee of the 2015 European Olympic Games due to be held in Baku.

Welcoming members of the committee, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- You are welcome!

Mr. President! Dear friends and guests! I am very glad to see you in Azerbaijan. You are welcome! I do hope that you will be pleased with your stay in our country. This is the first meeting of the Coordination Committee.

Of course, you will witness the preparatory work that has already begun. It is a huge responsibility for us, because these are going to be inaugural European Games. This is a big test. I hope that together we can achieve the goal - to organize one of the best events in the history of the Olympic movement. This is our goal. Now we are working very hard. Of course, there will be presentations today and tomorrow. Your advice will be greatly appreciated, because, as you know, we have no experience in organizing such a large event as Olympic Games.

Despite the fact that we have held European and world championships in the past, European Games are a competition of a different level and, of course, require special attention. Welcome once again, and I wish you a pleasant stay in Baku.

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The next speaker, President of the European Olympic Committee Patrick Hickey said:

- Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of my colleagues I want to say that we are very pleased with our stay here. I remember my first visit to Azerbaijan in 2001, when you were very actively involved in leading the National Olympic Committee. We are proud that you are still leading the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan. At the time, Jacques Rogge was President of the European Olympic Committee and I was Vice-President. Then you organized a meeting of the Executive Committee. We spent very pleasant days in Baku then. And now we are in Baku again.

Mr. President, I can confidently say that we are writing history here. This is a unique event.

I am sure that thanks to your efforts and the efforts of all our Azerbaijani colleagues, the first European Games in your country will achieve success in the true sense of the word. We, in turn, are ready to provide all possible help to do that.

There is a great interest in these games in Europe. I think that thanks to the cooperation of both sides we will achieve great success. I want to take this opportunity to introduce the Chairman of the Coordination Committee from Greece, Spyros Kapralos. He is the only Olympic champion of all the people present here.

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President of the Olympic Committee of Greece Spyros Kapralos expressed his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the decision to receive the first European Games. "This will be a very significant event for your country," Spyros Kapralos said. Touching upon the importance of the organization of the first European Games, he said:

- This event requires a highly responsible approach. It is very difficult to organize games with many sports. Your preparation time is very limited. The organization of the Games at the highest level is our common goal because, as President Hickey said, these Games will go down in history. All of the experts seated around this table will provide the Azerbaijani side with all possible assistance in organizing these grand games.

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Expressing his gratitude to the European Olympic family for the decision to hold this international sporting event in Baku, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that this was a very important and symbolic solution. The head of state said:

- We view this as a manifestation of confidence in the Azerbaijani side. I think that Azerbaijan is capable of organizing an international event of such a high level. You have correctly pointed out that our time is very limited. Whereas preparations for summer Olympics last six to seven years, we have only two years. However, we intend to organize these games at the level of summer Olympic Games. We will try to organize these games at the highest possible level and, of course, they will go down in the history of the European Olympic family as inaugural games. They will set specific criteria for future games. I do hope that we will achieve our goal together.

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President of the European Olympic Committee Patrick Hickey said:

Mr. President! Once again, thank you for your attention and continued support for these games. I know that you have extensive experience in the Olympic movement and always make sure that everything is in order.

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The next speaker, Vice-President of the European Olympic Committee Alexander Kozlovsky said:

- Mr. President! I would like to express my satisfaction that the first European Games will be held in Baku. Let me note that Baku has changed beyond recognition in recent years. Baku has become one of the most beautiful cities of Europe and indeed the world. On our way here we witnessed extensive construction activities everywhere. I am sure that in a few years we will witness even greater development of Baku.

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Alexander Kozlovsky asked President Ilham Aliyev to include sambo in the program of the European Games in Baku. The head of state said that sambo is very popular in Azerbaijan and that there are several multiple world champions in the sport in our country. President Ilham Aliyev said that this issue would be considered. Then the head of state said that the sports infrastructure already available and under construction in Azerbaijan will enable the country to conduct the competition at a high level. He noted that this process had begun several years ago. The ongoing construction of the Gymnastics Centre, the Aquatic Palace and the Olympic Stadium, as well as the upgrade of the existing complexes, suggest that there won’t be any difficulties with organizing the competition.

Expressing his confidence that the European Games would forever remain in the memory of everyone visiting Baku, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- The fact that the European Games are to be held in Baku suggests that European heritage has been here for centuries. At the same time, it shows that Azerbaijan can host not only the "Eurovision" song contest, but also the European Games. One of our main goals is to create an atmosphere in the city in which athletes, visitors and tourists coming to Baku for the first time feel comfortable, safe and at home, and enjoy this exciting international event.

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A member of the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committee, President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia Janez Kocijancic noted the importance of the upcoming first European Games and wished the Azerbaijani side every success in their organization at a high level.

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Patrick Hickey: Mr. President, we are proud that the organizing committee is led by your wife and First Lady of Azerbaijan. This is very important for us.

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President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. Her chairmanship in the organizing committee for the "Eurovision" song contest was successful. According to the European Broadcasting Union, as well as organizers of other events of this nature, the competition was organized very well and was one of the best competitions in recent years. She has a good experience. She is also a member of the Olympic family and has been the President of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation for over 10 years. She is a member of the National Olympic Committee. I am proud that I have been the President of the National Olympic Committee since 1997, i.e. six years before becoming President of the country. This shows that I did not become the head of the Olympic Committee by taking advantage of my presidency. I came to this position from the Olympic family. Frankly speaking, I am very pleased to still hold this position, as this shows the direction of our policy in general and creates additional confidence in our athletes in a sense. They see that the President of Azerbaijan is also the President of the National Olympic Committee. At the same time, I value our personal friendship with the President of the European Olympic Committee. We have known each other for over 10 years. I am also pleased with the make-up of the Coordination Committee in such a broad format. This is a good indicator of our partnership, and I think it will play a significant role in the organization of this important international event from a practical point of view. Once again, welcome!

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A picture was taken at the end of the meeting.