The Minsk 2019 Organising Committee has signed agreements with Belarusian diaspora organisations in Lithuania and Italy ©Minsk 2019

The Minsk 2019 Organising Committee has signed agreements with Belarusian diaspora organisations in Lithuania and Italy.

The move is part of a bid to encourage Belarus residents living in other countries to promote this year's European Games.

Minsk 2019 organisers have penned agreements with the Belarusian Cultural Center in Krok in Lithuania, and the Krynitsa community centre in Klaipeda in the same country.

Another deal was struck with the Belarus Cultural Community Association in Italian city Naples.

The idea is to "promote information" about the Games in the Belarus capital while raising international awareness.

A meeting was held to discuss the way forward after agreements were signed ©Minsk 2019
A meeting was held to discuss the way forward after agreements were signed ©Minsk 2019

"We already have an agreement with the Klaipeda Municipal Sports Department to organise meetings with the heads of sports schools and sections, provide them with materials about European Games sports," said Nikolai Logvin from the Klaipeda facility.

"The city also houses one of the Danish ferry companies that expressed willingness to cooperate in advertising, putting ads on the ships. 

"It would like residents of the cities of Denmark, Germany and Sweden connected by the ferry service to use this mode of transport as they travel to Minsk for the Games." 

A total of 15 sports are due to be held at Minsk 2019 in all, scheduled to take place between June 21 and June 30. 

More than 4,000 athletes are due to compete at what is the second European Games following Baku 2015.