YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan today held a meeting with newly-elected President of the Football Federation Armen Melikbekyan.

At the beginning of the meeting the PM congratulated Melikbekyan on his election as FFA President. “I would like to state that there are a lot of fans of football and the Armenian national team in Armenia and the government. That’s why we are not indifferent to the processes taking place in football and the Federation in general”, the PM said.

Pashinyan said football is important for the government for three reasons and three directions. “The first one is that the development of football is of strategic importance because I think and also hope that the major changes launched in Armenia will also be reflected in football, and in some sense football and the national team with its results will express our national and state ambitions and will be in accordance with these ambitions. Secondly, I think that the election of the FFA president is important because in the context of the fight against corruption the de-criminalization of football and cleaning of football from corruption are important for the government. Unfortunately, in many cases we see that criminal sub-culture and corruption circles have entered and are entering into the field of sport, the football field. Here we have to ensure the exclusion of criminal relations and corruption relations. Well aware of the path you have passed I am convinced that you will be consistent with this line. And the third one is, of course, the development of capacities. We have stated that the most important issue that must be solved for the citizens of Armenia is the development of opportunities. Football is among those fields where numerous boys, girls can develop their capacities and find an inspiration for using them. It’s very important for us to really develop the football infrastructure also as a key attribute for the organization of public life”, the Armenian PM said.

Pashinyan said the FFA, of course, is operating independent from the government, but having a common vision creates great opportunities for the cooperation. “In this regard the Football Federation has opportunities for cooperation both with the government, state structures and the international football community. And I am confident that here not the whole potential is used, and I want to wish you success in using this potential more efficiently”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

In turn the new FFA President said for a long time no competitive elections were held in the Federation. “But this happened, and this is the most important sign that football in Armenia should move on with the improvement direction. As for the mechanisms to counter corruption, you know and the public also follows the recent positive developments in the European and global football. Scandalous events took place both in the UEFA and FIFA in 2016 when the FIFA President resigned, then was followed by the UEFA President, and the improvement process continues there. We are cooperating with the UEFA, FIFA in these directions and will do the utmost to keep Armenia’s football away from such phenomena”, Melikbekyan said.

He informed that they have a vision that is reflected in the strategy developed for until 2025. That vision is to raise awareness on Armenia via football.

The PM in turn added that in the contemporary world football is more and more perceived not only as a type of sport, but also as a branch of the economy. “Unfortunately, football in Armenia has not been developed as an economy branch also, and I think that the reason is the same like that in case of the remaining branches of the economy, meaning monopolies, abuses, restriction of opportunities”, he said.

Melikbekyan said in past months they are cooperating with the state structures, adding that they wish to make this cooperation closer.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan