Russian establishment considers European Games in Baku have political significance

According to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's relations with Azerbaijan are now experiencing a recovery, which is especially important for Russia at a time when the West is acting against it with the sanctions regime.

"These relationships are on the rise. We have very good contacts with the leadership of Azerbaijan. Now Azerbaijani producers have been actively involved helping Russia with supplies of fruits and vegetables since the sanctions regime against our country started. But I can say that the field of industry also works very well. Now the creation of a service center in Azerbaijan for Russian-made helicopters is being considered. We work a lot with shelf topics. We have ideas of ​​cooperation in the shipbuilding industry in the development of the Caspian region," Rogozin said.

In turn, State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, said that Russia and Azerbaijan are very active in developing their relations looking to the future.

The head of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, has not disregarded the very difficult geopolitical situation which now exists in the world.

At the moment, the deputy explained, "there is a lawsuit regarding Europe. The US is trying to implement, I would say, pan-Atlantic expansion into European markets. All this is done with a multiculturalism and demographic melting pot approach, to do so is not easy, it is alien to European civilization."

In this regard, Senator Ilyas Umahanov called the First European Games to be held this summer in Baku "a new page in the Olympic movement, in sports and in the prosperity of the reputation of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

The Russian senator thanked Ilham and Heydar Aliyev for the fact that they provided a start in life for many young athletes. It is because of this that "sport of the Azerbaijan Republic and Republic of Azerbaijan sportsmen have an international start. You can find there both Russians and Belarusians, and Ukrainians, and many Dagestanis," Umahanov said.

In Russia, as the vice-president of the Russian Council on Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, former President of North Ossetia Alexander Dzasokhov said, "with great joy we learned that the first European Games will be held in the capital of Azerbaijan, in a state close to Russia, by our good neighbor."

All this in the opinion of Dzasokhov is a consequence of the fact that "Azerbaijan embodies the culture of Azerbaijani national, European, Asian, and staying true to his homeland, a very meaningful, intelligent and very popular with all levels shall undertake such major events."

"We wish success for the first European Games. So that later, ten years later, we will say that we met in Baku the first time. I welcome you, dear friends, to Azerbaijan, and wish you much success. In connection with these games and in all directions," he concluded.

Umahanov Ilyas also wished happiness and well-being to the people of Azerbaijan, and he expressed hope "that this amazing new forum, the forum of the Youth Olympic Movement, will be held."