Events

MINSK, 29 October (BelTA) – Belarus and the United States have agreed to identify further steps to develop bilateral cooperation in sports, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. is hosting the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees from 27 through 30 October 2015. Attending the event is a delegation from Belarus headed by First Vice President of the National Olympic Committee Maksim Ryzhenkov.

During the visit, the Belarusian delegation met with heads of the agencies of the U.S. Department of State responsible for international sports cooperation.

Maksim Ryzhenkov emphasized the importance of sports diplomacy which helps build bridges in international relations, contributes to the development of contacts between people, and strengthens mutual understanding between countries.

The Belarusian delegation thanked the U.S. side for the organization of sports events and internship programs in basketball, streetball, and women's football in Belarus and the United States.

For his part, Charge d'Affaires of Belarus in the United States Pavel Shidlovsky noted that the gradual normalization of relations between Belarus and the U.S. opens new opportunities for strengthening the bilateral cooperation in sports, culture, and education.

The participants of the meeting also noted that the two countries have common priorities in the implementation of programs to support talented youth, female athletes, and athletes with disabilities.