Will the Entry of Fans of Alleged Armenian Descent to Baku Be Prohibited? Steps by the Armenian Foreign Ministry

Today, Anna Naghdalyan, spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, addressed the issue of adequate security guarantees for Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan to participate in the Europa League final in Baku. "If the Azerbaijani side were to provide adequate security guarantees that would satisfy both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and his team, then the Foreign Ministry would have no objections to Henrikh Mkhitaryan's participation in the match in Baku," Naghdalyan said.

Regarding the alleged prohibition of fans of Armenian descent from entering Azerbaijan, Naghdalyan noted that this issue will be raised by Armenia before its international partners. "We would welcome it if the Azerbaijani side adhered to the principle that sports should be above politics. Moreover, manifestations of racism and intolerance in sports should have no place anywhere. In this regard, the absence of such guarantees from Azerbaijan and the prohibition of the entry of fans of alleged Armenian descent is nothing more than a new manifestation of racism, which casts doubt on the holding of such international events in Azerbaijan. This game was an opportunity for Azerbaijan to demonstrate how genuinely prepared it is to prepare its people for peace, but we not only did not see any contributions in this direction, but also witnessed new manifestations of racism. Naturally, we will raise this issue with our international partners," she added.