First European Games open in Azerbaijan
The first European Games have opened in Azerbaijan. A dazzling opening ceremony featuring surprise guest Lady Gaga was not enough to dispel misgivings about human rights in the country.
Friday evening’s two-hour opening ceremony in Baku’s Olympic Stadium was kicked off by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, who entered the stadium with a flaming torch at the start of a dazzling show produced by Dimitris Papaioannou, the producer of the 2004 Olympics ceremonies in Athens.
Aliyev, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, watched from the stands as 6,000 athletes marched into the stadium, kicking off the 16-day games. Thirty-five other heads of state also attended the ceremony, which depicted the history of Azerbaijan in a colorful display.
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Source News: DW
