FIFA’s Infantino Pledges Support to the Construction of New National Stadium in Armenia

YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has arrived in Armenia to participate in the events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Football Federation of Armenia.

The Prime Minister welcomed Mr. Infantino’s visit to our country, his participation in the events of the 30th anniversary of the FFA, which testifies to the effective cooperation between FIFA and the FFA. Nikol Pashinyan hailed the fact that in recent years about 90 small stadiums have been built in Armenia with the support of FIFA and the Government.

“The development of football infrastructure has great potential not only for sports, but also for education, social and cultural purposes. The government has initiated radical reforms in the field of healthy lifestyle and attached importance to the cooperation with FIFA and other international partners,” he said.

Expressing gratitude for the assessment, the FIFA President noted that he was visiting Armenia for the first time and was impressed by our country, its rich history and culture. Gianni Infantino stressed the importance of connection between education and sport, noting that FIFA will continue to support Armenia in the development of football infrastructure.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the agenda of cooperation. The issue of construction of a national stadium was touched upon. The Prime Minister noted that the construction of a national stadium meeting international standards is one of the priorities of the Government, and some work certain work being done in that direction. The FIFA President stressed the importance of such an infrastructure in terms of the country’s sports reputation, noting that FIFA 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 Executive Director, famous Armenian football player Youri Djorkaeff.

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