By 2050, Armenia must win at least 25 Olympic medals, while the national football team must become a winner of the European or World Championship, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, February 20.

Pashinyan said the government should change its perception of and attitude towards sports in general.

The Thursday meeting focused on awarding AMD 5 million (approx. $10,500) to each of the athletes recognized the best in the country in 2019.

Pashinyan said sports are of strategic importance to Armenia.

According to him, the country should also produce a World Chess Champion in the coming years.

The Prime Minister said sports victories are not only matters of social and psychological importance, but they also have an economic aspect.

Having Olympic champions increases the flow of tourists to the country, he said, while the development of sports is the best sign that the economy is developing.

Armenian athletes have won a total of 14 medals, in wrestling, weightlifting and boxing.