Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 28 / Trend A.Akhundov /
Azerbaijan will ensure complete security of Armenian athletes during the World Chess Cup 2015 and the World Chess Olympiad 2016, Azerbaijani Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov said at the signing ceremony of the contract on the holding of these events in Azerbaijan.
The contract was signed in Baku on Wednesday by the president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of Azerbaijani Chess Federation Elman Rustamov and the Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov.
"We are ready to receive chess players from Armenia and all security issues will be addressed at the appropriate level. This is not the first contest with the participation of Armenian athletes in Azerbaijan, "Rahimov said.
According to Ilyumzhinov, a presidential council of FIDE will be held in Yerevan on January 18-20 2013, which will focus on the safety during the arrival, accommodation and participation of Armenian athletes at the events.
Commenting on the proposals of FIDE on holding a children's chess tournament with participation of young Azerbaijani and Armenian athletes on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Sports Minister Azad Rahimov said that Azerbaijan would support the proposal if all Azerbaijani guests will be able to freely participate in the tournament and their security will be assured.
The decision to hold the contests in Baku was made in September at the General Assembly of the World Chess Federation in Istanbul. Albena (Bulgaria) and Tallinn (Estonia) also made a bid for holding the Olympiad.
