Incident with Azerbaijan Flag Does Not Reflect Armenia's Position, Says Ministry of Education and Science

The incident involving the Azerbaijani flag does not reflect the position of the Armenian authorities and is condemned from the perspective of universal principles of sports values and fair play. This was stated by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia.

“At the same time, we regret the decision made by the Azerbaijani team to leave the competition and add that there were no safety issues,” the agency's statement said, highlighting that “the evidence for this is that Azerbaijani athletes have been safely and securely in Armenia for nearly two days, and after deciding to leave the competition, relevant services ensured their safe departure.”

“The government has been committed to providing additional security measures for Azerbaijani athletes as per its initial obligations. This is evidenced by the fact that Azerbaijani athletes have been safe and secure in Armenia for almost two days, and after their decision to leave the competition, relevant services facilitated their safe departure,” the statement continued. In preparing for this competition, Armenia has undertaken extensive work and made significant investments. The conditions for accommodation, training, and competitions, the technical support, the television broadcast, and the unprecedented opening ceremony have received high praise from our international partners.

According to multiple assessments, this European championship held in Armenia can confidently compete with the organization of world championships. I am confident that after the tournament, we will be able to state that Armenia can aspire to host larger competitions, including world championships,” the statement concluded.

It should be noted that the European Weightlifting Championship is currently taking place at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan, where designer Aram Nikolyan burned the Azerbaijani flag during the opening ceremony.