YEREVAN. – Armenia’s schoolchildren will not be participating in the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad—which the Azerbaijan capital city of Baku will host—because Azerbaijan did not give security guarantees to the Armenian team.

The Minister of Education and Science of Armenia, Armen Ashotyan, told the aforementioned to reporters on Tuesday.

“This is just a shameful behavior (…). I regret it, since we are deprived of [winning] medals; we have brilliant children,” Ashotyan said. “This has proved yet again that we [i.e. Armenia and Azerbaijan] are different countries, and we treat children in a different way.”

The minister added that they will demand the European organizations to condemn such “destructive” approach by Baku.

“I will petition that olympiads are no longer organized in Baku, since they are essentially depriving Armenia of participation,” concluded Armen Ashotyan.