Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept.9. / Trend F.Huseynli /
The Azerbaijani National Judo team is in Yerevan, attending the Youth European Championship being held in Yerevan on September 9-14.
The Azerbaijani team of five athletes has been accommodated in the three-star hotel, Gongress. Their security is being ensured by the Armenian security service, the Azerbaijani Youth and Sport Ministry told Trend .
On Sept.9, the Azerbaijani judokas will train at the arena, where the European Championship will be held.
The championship draw will be held on Sept.10, and determine the Azerbaijani sportsmen's first opponents.
The Azerbaijani team are being placed together with the Israeli and Turkish athletes. The Israeli athletes are already in Yerevan and Turkish athletes arrive today.
"The Azerbaijani sportsmen's security will be provided by the Armenian Security Service. The athletes will be kept comfortable in the hotel. The Turkish and Israeli teams also will be accommodated there here. The Israeli team's security will be provided by the Israeli side. Our athletes will be under dual protection," the Youth and Sports Minister, Azad Rahimov, said earlier at a news-conference.
The agreement on ensuring security was signed between Azerbaijani and Armenian Ministers of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov and Armen Grigoryan, the Azerbaijani and Armenian Judo Federation presidents, Fizuli Alekperov and Alexan Avetisyan, and the members of the European Judo Federation and the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committee, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Youth and Sport said on September 2.
The agreement stipulates that Armenia must bear full responsibility for all the Azerbaijani sportsmen's security issues from the moment of their entry util departure from Armenia, and to ensure they are provided with means of communication and can attend training.
The document said that during the Championship the Azerbaijani flag must be among the of other countries' flags. If an Azerbaijani sportsman wins, the Azerbaijani state flag will be raised and the national anthem will be performed. All championship participants will stand while listening to the anthem. Armenia must also ensure that journalists accredited to the International Olympic Committee can freely participate in the championship and they must 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.
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