I hope the cooperation between Belarus and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) will continue to go stronger, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with President of the Association of National Olympic Committees Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah on 5 December, BelTA has learned.

“Sport is an important theme today. You, as a member of the IOC, can say a lot about sport. I would like to thank you for your visit to Belarus. I hope we will meet more often,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

The parties discussed the ways to further enhance the role of the ANOC in the international Olympic movement. The Belarusian president stressed that the ANOC may play a bigger role in Olympic decision-making.

Alexander Lukashenko and Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah also discussed the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, the preparations for the second European Games that Belarus will host in 2019 and other international sports competitions.

The head of state stated that Belarus has shown it can organize world-class events and noted that the ANOC can be more involved in the preparation and conduct of the European Games.

For his part, Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah noted that he is happy to have another opportunity to meet with Alexander Lukashenko and to visit Belarus. He also expressed his gratitude for the active participation of the Belarusian delegation in the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees recently held in Prague. “It was a very successful event,” the President of ANOC added.