The event was agreed after a Belarus delegation made the trip to Poland ©NOCRB

The National Olympic Committee of Belarus and the Polish Olympic Committee (PKO) have announced a joint sports event to be held in the run-up to the Minsk 2019 European Games.

It will take place on the Augustów Canal, which lies on the border between the two countries, and include athletics, cycling and canoeing.

No date has been set but it will be in May before the second edition of the European Games in Belarus' capital, which will run between June 21 and June 30 next year.

As well as helping to build excitement for Minsk 2019, the event will also help mark the 100th anniversary of the PKO.

Canoeing will be one of the sports at the cross-border event ©Getty Images
Canoeing will be one of the sports at the cross-border event ©Getty Images

The decision to stage the event was made as representatives from both National Olympic Committees held meetings in Poland.

Also discussed were preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, while the Belarus delegation attended a fair play ceremony.

European Games executive director Simon Clegg concluded a five-day visit to Minsk to inspect preparations for next year's edition of the event earlier this month.

Clegg, who was re-appointed to his role having played a key part in the organisation of the inaugural European Games in Baku in 2015, described his first official trip to Belarus' capital as "enlightening, educational and encouraging".