Pashinyan hosts Infantino in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is visiting Armenia on the 30th anniversary of the country's Football Federation (FFA).

During the meeting, Pashinyan noted with satisfaction that in recent years about 90 small stadiums have been built in Armenia under the Government programs and with the support of FIFA: "The development of football infrastructure is important not only for sports but also for educational, social and cultural perspectives. The government has initiated radical reforms in the field of healthy lifestyle and attaches importance to the cooperation with FIFA and other international partners."

The FIFA President said that he was visiting Armenia for the first time and was impressed by the country, its rich history and culture. Infantino stressed the importance of link between sports and education, noting that FIFA will continue to support Armenia in the development of football infrastructure, contributing to the programs aimed at the formation of relevant atmosphere not only in sports, but also in educational and social directions.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the cooperation agenda. The issue of construction of a national stadium was touched upon. The Prime Minister noted that the construction of a national stadium in accordance with international standards is one of the priorities of the Government, and some work is being done in that direction. The FIFA President stressed the importance of the infrastructure of such a scale in terms of the country's sports reputation, noting that FIFA with its tools will support the process as much as possible. In this context, FFA President Armen Melikbekyan presented the work done so far.

The sides reaffirmed their readiness to strengthen the partnership, emphasizing the important contribution of FIFA Foundation CEO, famous Armenian football player Youri Djorkaeff.

On behalf of FIFA, Infantino presented the Prime Minister with a nominal T-shirt and a nominal ball of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.