President Ilham Aliyev: Standards applied to Games in Azerbaijan will lay foundation for all future European Olympic Games

Baku, May 15 (AzerTAc). “I believe that the standards applied to the Games in Azerbaijan will lay the foundation for all future European Olympic Games. We have only two and a half years to stage the European Summer Olympic Games,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in his interview to The Business Year magazine. The head of the state noted: ‘I am sure that we will succeed in meeting all our objectives in this respect. The Organizing Committee is already in place and is working very hard. The construction of most of the sport facilities which will host the Games is scheduled for completion this year. The Olympic stadium, the gymnastic center, the aquatic palace and the trap shooting complex are now under construction. The Heydar Aliyev Sports Center and the Hand Games Palace are being refurbished and other sport facilities are being set up. However, preparations for the Games are not limited to the construction of various facilities. Issues relating to security and transportation, the establishment of an Olympic village, accommodation of visitors and athletes, organization of training camps and other issues require a great deal of attention and effort. If we take into consideration the potential already available in Azerbaijan, the presence of a sophisticated sports infrastructure and our extensive experience in hosting prestigious international competitions, I have no doubt whatsoever that we will conduct the Games at a high level.”