Send to Kindle
Fireworks illuminate the sky during the opening ceremony of the 2015 European Games at the Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan, 12 June 2015. Photo: EPA
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov was one of the few EU leaders to attend the official opening ceremony of the First European Games in Azerbaijan on Friday.
Most EU leaders decided to boycott the opening in Baku due to the poor human rights record of the country, which has been accused of gross violations.
Azerbaijan has been criticitsed for imprisoning many government critics and denying international human rights officials and some media access to the country.
Azerbaijan has dismissed the accusations and in return blamed the West of trying to politicise the event, the BBC reports.
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev opened the games, entering the national stadium in Baku with a flaming torch.
Among the other European political leaders attending the ceremony were Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdogan.
Putin and Erdogan, who are meeting behind closed doors on Saturday with Turkish Stream and Syria dominating their agenda, did not miss the opportunity to comment the absence of EU leaders.
The ceremony also marked the first appearance of Kosovo represented with its own flag at a major event.
The lavish opening ceremony celebrated Azeri culture and among the highlights were a giant bull representing Greek god Zeus, dancers forming a large Azeri flag and a huge pomegranate bursting with floating seeds.
Lady Gaga made a surprising appearance, performing the song of John Lennon “Imagine” behind a piano covered in flowers.
The European Games will last from June 12 to 28 with more than 6000 athletes from 50 European countries competing in 253 medal events.
Discussion around the admission of third-country workers to the Bulgarian labor market has intensified, often with emotions running high.
Bulgarians are reminded that annual tax returns must be filed by the end of April, with any additional tax due to be paid in euros
On Tuesday, much of Bulgaria will remain under considerable cloud cover.
The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency has detected bacterial contamination and mold in several sandwiches distributed in schools during a series of inspections
Producers of basic food products in Bulgaria are warning that the continuing rise in fuel prices could soon be reflected in the cost of goods on the market.
As of March 16, 2026, Bulgaria’s major and complex dams hold a total of about 4,892.4 million cubic meters of water, which corresponds to roughly 74.85% of their overall storage capacity
On March 16, 2026, Ukraine marked twelve years since Russia staged a sham referendum in Crimea, a move widely condemned as illegal by the international community.
Iran has issued a warning to Romania, stating that it will take political and legal action if the country permits the United States to operate military bases on its territory for operations targeting Iran
The first three US aerial refueling aircraft have arrived in Romania as part of a temporary deployment requested by Washington amid the ongoing Middle East conflict
Ukrainian forces have successfully disrupted a large-scale Russian offensive that had been planned for late last year and intended to continue this spring,
Hungary’s political divide was on full display in Budapest on March 15, as rival camps mobilized hundreds of thousands of supporters during the country’s national holiday
The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran continues to widen its regional impact, with growing pressure on key global shipping routes and rising tensions among international allies.
Aniventure Comic Con Returns to Bulgaria with Star Guest Christopher Judge!
Global Fuel Shock: Oil Jumps Over 40% Since Iran War Began
