Hosting the First European Games, Azerbaijan has made a rather ambitious and risky step, Region-Plus reports. Being the groundbreaker, creating standards is always a big responsibility, the first try may be a failure. The time was scarce too, only two years were given to organize a Summer Olympic Games-level event that usually takes 7-8 years to prepare. Baku has not overestimated its strength. The grandiose event opened on June 12, 2015, worthy of becoming part of the history of world sports.
The Asian and Pan-American Games have been held since the mid-20th century. Then countries started organizing the Pan-African, Mediterranean, Pan-Arab, Pacific, Bolivarian, Central American and Caribbean Games. Only the origin of the Olympic movement had no Games of its own. Patrick Hickey, president of the European Olympic Committee, thanked Azerbaijan for organizing the Games.
Delegations consisting of 6,000 athletes arrived in Baku from 50 countries. They compete for 253 medal sets in 20 types of sports, including 16 Olympic types.
Heads of state and parliament, ministers and members of parliaments, heads of international sporting organizations and ordinary people gathered in Baku to cheer for their athletes. Everyone admits being impressed by the conditions created for the guests and the opening of the Games. 'No wonder Mehriban Aliyeva was elected as the chairwoman of the Organizing Committee of the First European Games. A woman's hand and a woman's soul could be felt everywhere. That is why it is so comfortable, the opening of the Games was organized with such warmth,' opined Olga Kazakova, deputy chairwoman of the Russian State Duma Committee for Public Associations and Religious Organizations, in an interview with the Bakinsky Rabochy paper. Sharing her impressions about the opening ceremony of the First European Games, she noted that there were many moments related to history and love. 'It was demonstrated how love between a man and a woman animates the land. Thanks to the love on the dried out land, fire, water appear. Those are subtle, spiritual moments. The audience gains sentiment that it is not a battle, it is Games.' The MP believes.
Athletes were astounded too. British gymnast Emma Kavanagh said that said on Twitter that being in Baku seemed amazing after the uneventful landing and accommodation. Another British gymnast Nile Wilson wrote on Twitter that he had spent spectacular final days in Baku, training and preparing for the competitions. Vital Heyden, chief coach of the German team, compares the conditions in Baku with the conditions at Olympic Games, Trend cites the coach's words on Twitter.
Dutch gymnast Casimir Schmidt, winner of a silver medal at the European Games, called the Games perfectly-organized. The athletes reminded that he had taken part in the European Olympic Festival in 201, but the Games seemed a lot more impressive.
Blogger Artemiy Surin shared his impressions on Facebook, comparing the event with the One Thousand and One Nights where everyone was a magician, from presidents and Lady Gaga to the steward doing their job well.
Many are unsurprised with the pomp, they remember the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, the 2014 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships and other prestigious events. In general, Azerbaijan has hosted 36 international tournaments since 2002. But the European Games were certainly more hefty. It is too early to summarize the results of the First European Games, but Azerbaijan has set a high benchmark in organizing games in the Old World, which is obvious before the final whistle.
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The Ingushetia paper says that the republic launched an electoral campaign of the local self-governance of the third calling. The first decisions to elect members of village councils on September 13, 2015, were made in Malgobeksky District's Sagopshi and Inraki, Jeyrakhsky District's Lyazhgi and Olgeti.
The term of all representative bodies of Ingushetia's municipalities of the second calling (elected in autumn 2011) expires in September. According to the local laws on municipal elections, the electoral campaign starts three months ahead of the single voting day (second Sunday of September). Thus, the elections in 4 city districts and 36 villages will be held on September 13, 2015. The list of voters includes about 211,000 names. They will have 461 candidates to choose from.
12 municipalities, 4 cities and 8 large towns will employ the proportional election system. According to the electoral commission, a single electoral district will be formed in every city or village. Parties will have the right to field their candidates. Mandates will be distributed according to electoral constituencies with over 5% of vote. About 160,000 voters, or about 75% of the voters, will elect 205 deputies.
28 villages, where about 25% of voters will cast votes, will hold elections according to the single-member constituency system. They will elect 256 deputies.
Representational bodies of municipal districts will be formed by heads of villages with an equal number of members. District councils will delegate 88 people, including 37 heads of villages and 49 members of village councils and two residents elected by their residents.
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Armenian manufacturers are suffering losses as their economy is unprepared for the EAEU, the Delovoy Express weekly says. Instead of a 170-million-consumer market of the Eurasian Economic Union Armenian manufacturers get new problems. In particular, small Armenian poultry market suffers from the pressure of their competitors from Russia's Rostov Oblast, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories.
'We had big expectations from joining the EAEU,' says Andre Kirakosyan, director of the Agrotekinvest poultry farm, 'Considering the sanctions imposed on Russia, we thought that about 10-20% of products would be exported to the country. But everything turned out to be the opposite.' Since March this year, Russia started selling chicken to Armenian from the nearest agricultural regions of Russia. It is sold cheaper than Armenian poultry. So, why has Armenia been importing poultry when Russian manufacturers experience a deficit? Russia has been using the upper price limits for some products, including chicken, for quite a while. Russian poultry factories benefit from selling excess of products to Armenia, taking advantage of the lack of customs fees.
As a result, local manufacturers are forced to sell products below the prime costs and may face serious financial problems, should a force majeure situation occur. Most poultry farm owners in Armenia would love to sell their business. Back in 2014, it seemed that the Armenian poultry industry was in a state of renaissance. Up to $15 million were invested in the sector. In particular, a poultry farm was opened in Spitak, an Agrotekinvest farm was expanded in Armavir.
'Our government must do something,' says Sergey Stepanyan, head of the Union of Poultry Farmers of Armenia, 'The current situation has become possible because of Armenia's unpreparedness to join the EAEU. Everything happened very fast at the cue of political interests, but even the remaining time was not used to analyze the markets and develop the needed strategy.'
The author of the article opines that the government will find instruments to resolve the problem. Besides, according to his information, such critical situation can be seen in the flour industry. Russian flour has displaced Armenian, many Armenian mills have not seen any reasons to hope for serious progress in the near future. It seems that people are just waiting when the situation in the Russian economy improves and transfers from Russia to Armenia can resume, concludes the source.
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According to the Dagestanskaya Pravda paper, the Gajiyev Steelworks was founded at the Uytash investment platform (about 130 hectares) in the Karabudakhkentsky District of Dagestan, covering 7.23 hectares. The factory will be erected in several years.
Searches for a place to build the factory started in 2008, resulting in selection of the center of Makhachkala. The choice was dictated by harsher ecological demands and higher land taxes.
According to director general Abdulvagab Papalashov, modernization and expansion of the preparatory production of the factory will take about 2.5 billion rubles.
Besides equipment and buildings, the steelworks needs a compressor facility, an electricity substation, gas, water, filtering systems. Power and water connection have been created. Facilities for smithing, wood-processing, galvanization, rubber and technical production and technical services have already been created. The construction should take 7 years. As a result, the steelworks will pay about 380 million rubles of taxes, give 570 permanent and 100 temporary jobs. Social and residential buildings will be erected in the center of Makhachkala.
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The Severnaya Osetiya paper informs about the cultural and recreational policy of North Ossetian youth in Turkey, Syria and North Ossetia this summer. The policy is realized within the framework of the republican program for development of interethnic relations in North Ossetia in 2014-2018. The program is put into practice by the Ministry of National Relations of North Ossetia, the Razvitiye NGO and the Arvayden ethnic cultural center.
The Ethnolager-2015 project was launched on June 15 to teach Ossetian youth abroad about the traditions and culture of their compatriots. Young people will spend a week meeting with Ossetian politicians, journalists, teachers, members of public organizations, elders and study the national language and cultural enbironment. They will have excursions around Vladikavkaz, visit museums, master classes for dancing, wood carving, cooking, vocals, weaving and doll-making.
The Yuzhnaya Osetiya paper says that guests have already visited the National Museum and meet public representatives. Constantine Pukhayev, deputy head of presidential administration, told the guests about settlement of hundreds of Ossetians from Turkey. In his words, Turkey has about 129 Ossetian families, some members of which have become notable state and public figuresm politicians, military and scientists. In 1989, Turkish Ossetians founded the Alan Ossetian society, where they gather to study the Ossetian language, culture and traditions.
Young Ossetians received passports of South Ossetia.
