Gambia's Sports Minister Bakary Badjie has announced the establishment of a joint committee with Azerbaijan to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of sport and youth policy, İdman.Biz reports.
Speaking during an international event in Baku, Badjie said he was visiting Azerbaijan to attend the 10th session of the Conference of Parties to UNESCO's International Convention against Doping in Sport. He noted that the gathering provided an important opportunity to meet ministers and officials responsible for sport from around the world.
The Gambian minister said his schedule was largely occupied by official meetings, leaving little time to explore the city. Nevertheless, the delegation attended an equestrian demonstration and visited several sports facilities in the Azerbaijani capital.
Badjie praised Baku's sports infrastructure, describing it as a model of excellence. He specifically highlighted the Aquatics Centre and the National Gymnastics Arena, saying Gambia hopes to develop similar facilities in the future.
The minister also noted that relations between the two countries have been steadily strengthening. He recalled that during the 2025 meeting in Paris, he and Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at expanding cooperation.
According to Badjie, practical implementation of that agreement is already underway. Through Azerbaijan's ambassador to Gambia, who is based in Morocco, both countries have established a joint committee to coordinate future initiatives.
The committee will focus on exchange programs, capacity-building and training for sports administrators, as well as youth development projects. Badjie said work in these areas has already begun and expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries will continue to grow.
