Rome, 14 October 2014 “His wish is that Armenia will participate in the inaugural European Games next year”, commented EOC President Pat Hickey referring to the Armenian NOC President Gagik Tsarukyan, after his visit to Yerevan together with IOC President Thomas Bach, where they met with the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to discuss the development of sport in the country.
Hickey explained that they “had a very positive meeting with the president of the Armenian NOC ” and added “the Armenian NOC will send a delegation to the EOC General Assembly in Baku in November and they will confirm their intentions there after consulting with various other stakeholders?.”
Bach promised Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan the IOC and EOC “will make every effort so that Armenia is satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations, and the required conditions are provided to Armenian sportsmen and women and their coaches in the host country”.
“We discussed Olympic Agenda 2020 and the importance of sport retaining its autonomy from governments,” Hickey said, also adding: “President Bach emphasized sport’s ability to transcend politics, but also that actions taken in the name of sport do have political implications.”
Political tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan had threatened the country’s involvement in next summer’s inaugural continental Games.