Trend, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2009
Azerbaijani sportsmen to be fully protected in Yerevan: minister
Azerbaijan, Baku, September 4 / Trend News J. Babayeva /
Azerbaijani judokas will be completely protected in the Youth European
Championship to be held in Yerevan on September 9-14.
"Armenian security service will ensure safety of Azerbaijani
sportsmen. Sportsmen will be placed in convenient hotels. Turkish and
Israeli teams will be also placed in this hotel. The Israeli side will
also ensure safety of Israeli team. Our sportsmen will be fully
protected," Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov said at a
press-conference on September 4.
The agreement on security of Azerbaijani sportsmen was signed between
Azerbaijani and Armenian Ministers of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov
and Armen Grigoryan, Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents of Judo
Federation, Fizuli Alekperov and Alexan Avetisyan, as well as members
of the European Judo Federation and the Executive Committee of the
European Olympic Committee during the visit of Azerbaijani Minister of
Youth and Sport to Yerevan.
The agreement stipulates that Armenia must bear the responsibility for
the security of Azerbaijani sportsmen from the moment of their entry
till their departure from Armenia, and to ensure they can get in
communication and attend training.
The document said that during the Championship the Azerbaijani flag
must be among the flags of other countries. If an Azerbaijani
sportsman wins, the Azerbaijani state flag will be raised and the
national anthem will be performed. All participants of the
championship will stand while listening to the anthem. Armenia must
also ensure free participation in the championships for journalists
accredited by the International Olympic Committee and provide free
access to the Internet.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
