Toleration of racist targeting of Armenians in Azerbaijan makes Mkhitaryan's travel to Baku: MFA spokesperson comments to CNN

Azerbaijan missed the opportunity to live up to its commitment to keeping politics separate from sports, spokesperson of Armenia’s MFA Anna Naghdalyan told CNN asked to comment on the situation with Armenian player Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Naghdalyan said that the toleration of racist targeting of Armenians in the Azerbaijani public and the media, and manifest security risks have made it impossible for Mkhitaryan to travel to Baku.

"The Europa League Final could be a good opportunity for Azerbaijan to live up to its alleged commitment to keeping politics separate from sports as well as to demonstrate its capacity of tolerance and non-discrimination. This opportunity has been spectacularly missed," said Anna A. Naghdalyan, the spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Both Arsenal and Mkhitaryan decided it was best for the 30-year-old to remain in the UK, while the rest of the squad traveled to Baku for the game against Chelsea.

Mkhitaryan tweeted earlier this week that, "It's the kind of game that doesn't come along very often for us players and I must admit, it hurts me a lot to miss it. I will be cheering my teammates on! Let's bring it home @Arsenal."

That decision was taken despite European football governing body UEFA's "guarantees" -- after speaking to "the highest authorities in the country" -- that the player would be safe.

On Thursday, Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sports, Azad Rahimov, told CNN Sport that there is nothing more his country can do to allay Mkhitaryan's fears given the Azeri government provided more written assurances than on any previous occasion for an athlete entering the country.
"More?" Rahimov said when questioned by CNN Sport's Amanda Davies. "What do you mean when you say more? More than a guarantee? More than 100%? Our feeling and our understanding about the security, we did all that. What more could we do?

"We can send a private jet for him? Accompanied by two F16 Fighting Falcons ... a navy machine? I don't know what more we could do."

"UEFA and Arsenal received all possible and not possible documentation. From my personal side, I sent a letter and signed the letter with a guarantee from the government, also from the Azerbaijan Football Federation, also from all the government states in charge for security."

Earlier in the week an Arsenal statement expressed "deep concerns" about the situation and the fact that Mkhitaryan's absence would be a big loss for the team.

"We're also very sad that a player will miss out on a major European final in circumstances such as this, as it is something that comes along very rarely in a footballer's career," the statement read.