“More than two years ago, we announced with great pleasure that it is Azerbaijan – the “Land of Fire” which will host the European Games. One of the most attractive elements is that the fire, which is the country's national symbol, is, at the same time, the main embodiment of strength and power of the Olympic Movement. The ancient Greek civilization, which laid the foundations for the light of flame and created ancient sports, considered sacred the fire”, said EOC President.
President Hickey who praised Azerbaijan and all of its preparations to date said: “The Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect are perfectly expressed through the Torch Relay. By passing the flame from one to another in a collaborative gesture, torchbearers spread a message of peace, friendship and celebration through sport.
Baku 2015 will come to life through the dedication and effort of your entire country. It has been an absolute pleasure working with the Azerbaijani leadership. Your professionalism and focus has never failed to impress us.”
Guests were treated to a display of national dancing and musical performances as part of the celebration of the Journey of the Flame before the President, First Lady and President Hickey entered the ancient temple to capture the flame.
The EOC President extended the European Olympic Committee’s sincere gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and the First Lady. “The professional staff of the Organizing Committee and Baku 2015 European Games Operations Committee has worked tirelessly for 27 months to make our plans a reality. We couldn’t imagine such work would be done in such a short period of time. In fact, the whole Baku team has scored a world record prior to the start of the Games”, he said.
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