European Games will cost Azerbaijan over $1 billion

PanARMENIAN.Net - The closing ceremony of the European Games on June 28 will cost the state budget 140 million manats, the Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov said, according to Contact.az.

In an interview with TASS he noted that, together with unplanned expenditures, the budget for the entire Games totalled 1,174 million manats ($ 1.12 billion).

With regard to the opening and closing ceremonies, the overall cost will be 240 million manats - 100 million for opening and 140 million for closing.

According to unofficial information, the government spent a couple of dozen millions on the visits of international pop stars to the closing ceremony. Madonna and a number of other world stars were mentioned.

The Games opened with a performance by Lady Gaga, whom the government paid 2 million dollars for one song.