The capital of Belarus was awarded the two-day event after its only rival, Yerevan in Armenia, withdrew shortly before a vote was due to be held at this year's General Assembly. 

The event will be the centrepiece of the 25th anniversary of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOC RB), who were created in 1991 following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Belarus made its debut as an independent nation at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.

They competed in their first Summer Games at Atlanta two years later.

They have won a total of 91 medals, 76 in the Summer Olympics and 15 in the Winter.

Of this total, 18 have been gold, 12 in the Summer and six in the Winter.

Belarus' most successful Olympics was at Beijing in 2008 when they won a total of 19 medals, including four gold. 

The General Assembly is due to be held at the headquarters of the NOC RB.

At last year's EOC General Assembly, Minsk had been awarded the 2019 Summer European Youth Olympic Festival.

"Many of you won't have been to Minsk but you will be impressed by how beautiful it is," Patrick Hickey, President of the EOC, told delegates when announcing the decision. 

The head of the NOC RB is Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, a controversial figure who has previously been the target of sanctions from the United States and European Union for alleged human rights violations.

Armenia's capital Yerevan now plans to bid to host the 2018 EOC General Assembly.

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November 2015: Turkey and Belarus awarded 2019 Winter and Summer European Youth Olympic Festivals