Premierul Victor Ponta a creat un scandal politic intern după ce a participat la deschiderea Jocurilor Europene de la Baku, eveniment boicotat de majoritatea liderilor UE. Mai mult, Administraţia Prezidenţială a reacţionat afirmând că Ponta nu a informat asupra acestei vizite.
Mai mult însă premierul Ponta a pus România într-o situaţia delicată, şeful guvernului fiind pus în situaţii jenante la Baku. Premierul român a fost singurul dintre personalităţile participante la deschiderea oficială a Jocurilor Europene, care nu a fost invitat la recepţia oficială, conform paginii de internet a Preşedinţiei de la Baku.
LISTA PARTICIPANŢILOR LA RECEPŢIE:
Those in attendance at the reception included President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic, President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Captains Regent of San Marino Andrea Belluzzi and Roberto Venturini, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Tayirbek Sarpashev, Chairman of the House of Deputies of the Czech Republic Jan Hamacek, Speaker of the Parliament of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini, Second President of the National Council of the Austrian Parliament Karlheinz Kopf, Vice Speaker of the Latvian Parliament Andrey Klementyev, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Mexican Senate Gabriela Cuevas Barron, head of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Working Group at the Verkhovna Rada Roman Nasirov, President of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Mosaad, Minister of State for Youth Affairs of Kuwait Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah, Turkmenistan`s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of Sports Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Mardouf Al Saadi, Iranian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mahmoud Goudarzi, Turkey`s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Tobias Ellwood, the Vatican`s Deputy Culture Minister Luis Marie William Sancez De Toca, ISESCO Director General Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, former Latvian President Valdes Zatlers and other high-level guests.
Un alt afront important pe care Victor Ponta l-a trăit la Baku a fost că nu a fost nici măcar primit într-o întrevedere protocolară cu preşedintele Azerbajdanului, Ilham Alyiev. Toţi oaspeţii internaţionali la nivel de preşedinte sau premier au avut astfel de întâlniri, ca de exemplu premierul bulgar, Boiko Borisov.
Ponta a fost singurul oaspete străin care a beneficiat doar de o întâlnire în aeroport cu premierul azer.
