Official Baku protests anti-Azerbaijani remarks at Paris Olympics opening ceremony

During the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Paris on July 26, a correspondent from the French state TV channel France 2 made discriminatory remarks during the parade of athletes from Azerbaijan and Armenia, accusing Azerbaijan of initiating clashes with Armenia.

In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan issued a statement condemning the anti-Azerbaijani provocation at the Paris Olympics, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The commentator from France 2 described Armenia as a friendly country to France, noting that this year was marked by the Armenian people as the year of the "fall of Nagorno-Karabakh" under the onslaught of the Azerbaijani army.

"This is a de facto violation of the Basic Principles of the Olympic Charter. These principles have been reaffirmed and supported by several UN General Assembly resolutions in recent years, including the 'Recognition of the Basic Principles of the Olympic Charter' (A/RES/78/10). The Charter clearly states that 'The IOC's mission is to promote Olympism throughout the world, to lead the Olympic Movement, and to oppose any political or commercial exploitation of sport and athletes'," the statement reads.

In light of the incident, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Youth and Sport and the National Olympic Committee sent an official letter of protest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The letter emphasizes that such disrespectful behavior from a state TV channel towards Azerbaijan is an open violation of the Olympic Charter. It argues that such propaganda not only contradicts the spirit of the Games but also undermines peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"Therefore, the IOC is called upon to take a firm stance against the politicization of sport during the Paris Olympics 2024, make an open statement, and protest to the French government, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, as well as the mentioned TV channel," the statement adds.