Baku Plans to File a Complaint with IOC Over Comments on Armenia and Armenians

The Azerbaijani leadership intends to file a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding comments made by France 2 television presenter Laurent Delahousse during the opening of the Games in Paris. Azerbaijani media report this news.

The remarks made by the presenter during the parade of the sailing teams angered the Azerbaijani side: "And of course, our Armenian friends... Armenia is historically a country close to the hearts of the French. Last year became a year of mourning for the Armenian people and the year of the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh in the hands of Azerbaijan," he stated when Armenian athletes appeared on the screen.

In this context, Azerbaijani media are actively disseminating all negative news regarding the opening of the Paris Olympics. It is worth reminding that the opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games took place on July 26 in the capital of France, Paris. For the first time, the games were not held in a stadium but on the River Seine, aboard boats. Athletes from 206 countries waved their national flags in the parade in Paris. The flag bearer for Armenia was boxer David Chaloyan.

Armenia is represented by 15 athletes (in 7 sports) in the Olympic Games: shooter Elmira Karapetyan, gymnasts Arthur Davtyan and Vahagn Davtyan, Greco-Roman wrestlers Arthur Aleksanyan, Malkhas Amoyan, Slavik Galstyan, freestyle wrestlers Arsen Harutyunyan and Vazgen Tevanyan, weightlifters Andranik Karapetyan, Garik Karapetyan, and Varazdat Lalayan, boxer David Chaloyan, swimmers Varsenik Manucharyan and Arthur Barseghyan, and runner Yervand Mkrtchyan.

The official closing of the Olympic Games will take place on August 11.