Baku, Azerbaijan, June 14
By Jamila Aliyeva - Trend:
The First European Games showed that Azerbaijani people see their future as a part of Europe, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta told Trend June 14.
"I want to congratulate the organizers and performers for an excellent opening ceremony, which not only expressed so much about Azerbaijan's history and culture, but also demonstrated the sense that the Azerbaijani people see their future as a part of Europe," said the ambassador.
Cekuta said that international sporting events like the Games are a great way to bring people of different countries and cultures together.
These Games, in particular bring together a number of European countries where there have been and are conflicts, so they can contribute to the shared goal of realizing the Europe that is whole, free, and at peace.
"Playing by the rules, celebrating the skills of the various individuals and teams, and shaking hands with your competitors when the match is over, are core aspects of athletic competition and the Olympic movement," he said.
The US ambassador wished the competitors the best of luck.
The European Games that kicked off in Baku June 12, will last till June 28.
There is a total of 20 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across Europe will be representing their nations over 17 days of competition.
Baku was awarded the games by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in December 2012.