Azerbaijan was one of the darlings at the just-completed World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where officials hailed the former Soviet republic for its economic growth and its commitment to global sports competition.
The country received significant attention for its efforts to host the first-ever European Games this June in Baku. President Ilham Aliyev and Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov, who also serves as chief executive of the Baku 2015 games, led a delegation to the annual event in Davos. They also hosted a dinner gala celebrating the upcoming sports competition.
Patrick Hickey, president of the European Olympic Committees, and Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, celebrated Azerbaijan for its economic growth and its growing presence on the world stage just 23 years after winning its independence from the Soviet Union.
“This year’s theme in Davos is ’The New Global Context,’ a theme which is also reflective of the sports movement in 2015. Sport in Europe is not only embracing a new context; it is helping to create a new context — through the introduction of the European Games,” Mr. Hickey told the dinner.
“Baku will stage a fantastic first edition. Azerbaijan is a nation emerging at a rapid pace, and with an abundance of natural resources combined with efficient management, it has become a remarkably dynamic state in just 23 years,” he said. “Being part of the European Olympic family has helped accelerate this development. Sport occupies a special place in Azerbaijan’s society.”
Mr. Rahimov said the Baku 2015 Games weren’t just a single event but rather “a part of our nation’s broader strategy” to become more integrated into the European economy.
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