President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev received at the Presidential Palace Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee Vitaliy Smirnov and Secretary General of the Russian Federation Olympic Committee Leonid Miroshnichenko, April 19.

Having mentioned solid relationship existing between the Olympic Committees of Azerbaijan and Russia since Vitaliy Smirnov’s presidency of the Russian Olympic Committee till nowadays, President Ilham Aliyev noted he remembered with great pleasure their meetings at various international conferences, and here in Baku, especially during the arrangements devoted to the 10th anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee. The Head of State asked for the guest’s impressions on the sports complexes erected in the country for the last years.

Mr. Vitaliy Smirnov expressed great satisfaction with the fact of his 40th visit to Azerbaijan, and congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on election as Head of State and conferring the highest award of the International Olympic Committee - Olympic Order - upon him. “I attended the meeting, at which the decision was unanimously made by President and four Vice-presidents of the International Olympic Committee. They especially emphasized your personal contributions to development of sports in your country”, he said. The guest has also expressed confidence that the International Olympic Committee will further benefit from the support of such experienced leader as President Ilham Aliyev. “I am proud of the Committee’s decision and my present mission to perform it,” Vitaliy Smirnov added.

Expressing gratitude to the leadership of the International Olympic Committee for the high award, President Ilham Aliyev described his activities in the Olympic movement as one of the most valuable areas of his life. “I took up the duties of President of the National Olympic Committee after presidential elections and will hold the office in future. I share your opinion that sport plays a very important role in life of any country. I thank you once again for this high appraisal of my activities,” the President said.

Present at the meeting was Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev.