A solemn closing ceremony of the "Sea Cup - 2019" contest, organized in Baku as part of the "International Army Games - 2019", was held on Aug. 15.

Axar.az reports citing Ministry of Defense.

Azerbaijani Honored Artist Ramil Gasimov, accompanied by a choir of military personnel, sang the song "Hey Motherland" composed by prominent Azerbaijani world-famous singer Rashid Behbudov during the event.

Officials from the Azerbaijani and Russian defense ministries, representatives of the diplomatic corps, contest participants, military personnel of various troops of the Azerbaijani army, national and foreign journalists attended the event.

“The interest in the International Army Games, set up in 2015 on the initiative of the Russian Defense Ministry, is growing,” said the host of the event, Honored Artist, Colonel Abdulla Gurbani, who is receiving a personal pension of the Azerbaijani president.

“The 'Sea Cup - 2019' contest has completed and our military sailors have successfully passed the difficult tests,” Gurbani said. “Azerbaijan hosts the contest the third year running and creates all the conditions for its transparent holding at a high level. As in previous years, the Sea Cup contest was held in an atmosphere of friendship, fraternity, mutual understanding and was enthusiastically perceived by all participating countries.”

Then the flags of the countries participating in the "Sea Cup - 2019" contest and the main prize of the contest - the Cup - were solemnly presented.

A video footage dedicated to a brief chronicle of the contest was demonstrated. A team of international referees announced the final decision, according to which Azerbaijan ranked first, Russia - second, and Kazakhstan - third.

While delivering speech at the event, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Head of the Directorate of Combat Training and Military Education, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the "Sea Cup - 2019" contest, Lieutenant General Nizam Osmanov stressed that the contest held within Fifth International Army Games has completed.

He emphasized that the teams of the Russian Navy, the Iranian Navy, the Kazakh Navy and the Azerbaijani Navy were competing for more than 10 days and showed skills in tense conditions in the Azerbaijani territorial waters of the Caspian Sea.

The lieutenant general said that the board of international referees fulfilled obligations at a high level.

On behalf of the leadership of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, he congratulated all the participants, referees, fans, in particular the winning team, on the completion of the contest. Osmanov emphasized that the teams representing Azerbaijan in six types of contests within the Fifth International Army Games also showed good results.