FIFA Inspection Commission arrives in Sochi.

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SOCHI, August 19 (Itar-Tass) -- The FIFA Inspection Commission arrived
in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Wednesday, August 18, to inspect
transport, infrastructure, hotels and sport facilities as part of Russia's
bid for hosting FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
"The FIFA Inspection Commission will visit four facilities: Sochi
International Airport, the construction site of the central stadium in the
Olympic Park where the Olympic Games 2014 opening and closing ceremonies
will be held, the Slava Metreveli Central Stadium, and the Hotel Rodina,"
the press service of the city administration said.
At the airport, the delegation was greeted by Krasnodar Territory Vice
Governor Nikolai Doluda, Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov, and airport
Director-General Sergei Likhachev.
Likhachev will hold a presentation of the airport's new terminal,
after which the FIFA commission will head to the Imereti Lowland for a
meeting with the Olympstroi state-owned company's Executive Director
Gennady Gubin and its Vice President Viktor Pryadein.
Kirill Petrov of the construction company Ingeokom will hold a
presentation of the central stadium in the Olympic Park for 45,000 people.
After that the FIFA delegation will go on a sightseeing tour of the
city, to be followed by a visit to the Slava Metreveli Stadium, the Sport
and Football Museum, a training centre, and a rehabilitation centre. The
delegation will also attend training sessions of the local football team
Zhemchuzhina Sochi and children's teams.
Two presentations will be held at the Hotel Sochi: the first one will
focus on Sochi. It will be held by city Deputy Mayor Alexander Tkachenko
in cooperation with the heads of several services responsible for
security, transport, environment, infrastructure, sport, and other areas
of work.
The second presentation on the development of football in Russia will
be held by former Russian national football team member Alexei Smertin.
Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko, Russian
Football Union President Sergei Fursenko, and Russia 2018-2022 Bidding
Committee Head Alexei Sorokin are accompanying the FIFA Inspection
Commission on its trip to Sochi.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier pledged to the FIFA officials
that if Russia were granted the right to host the World Cup in 2018, all
necessary football facilities would be built "timely, at the highest level
and meeting your requirements."
He also noted that necessary sport facilities would be built and
reconstructed regardless of whether or not Russia has been granted the
right to host the World Cup in 2018. "We will reconstruct and build the
same major facilities that should be used for the World Cup, regardless of
whether or not we are granted the right to host the World Cup," Putin
stated.
"There is much to be done, but it is good from the FIFA point of
view," the Russian premier noted. "I refer to the development of football
in this part of the world, including Russia. Certainly, we need your
permanent assistance and support, consultative and friendly, as well as
common work, as we are doing with the International Olympic Committee
during preparations for the Sochi Olympics-2014," the premier addressed
the FIFA officials.

.Medvedev to begin state visit to Armenia, hold talks with Sargsyan.

SOCHI, August 19 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will
begin a state visit to Armenia on Thursday, August 19.
After winding up his work in Russia, Medvedev will arrive in Yerevan
for talks with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and attend an informal
meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
According to presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko, the first event for
Medvedev upon arrival in Yerevan will be the official welcoming ceremony.
A guard of honour will line up on the tarmac, and a military orchestra
will play the Russian national anthem.
After that he will head to the monument to the victims of Armenian
genocide of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire. The wreath-laying ceremony at the
monument is an inalienable part of the state visit to Armenia.
In the evening, Medvedev will have talks with Sargsyan, but official
talks are scheduled for Friday, August 20. They will be held in a narrow
format at first, with the delegations joining their leaders later on.
A number of agreements are expected to be signed after the talks. They
will expand and develop Russian-Armenian strategic cooperation,
specifically in the fields of defence, atomic energy, trade and economy.
The heads of state will then hold a joint press conference.
On Friday, Medvedev and Sargsyan will visit Gyumri, Armenia's
second-largest city, to attend the unveiling of the Honour Hill Memorial
where Russian officers of the 19th century Russian-Turkish wars are buried.
On the same day, the two leaders will be joined by the presidents of
other CSTO member states for an informal meeting on Lake Sevan, the fourth
summit of the organisation.
A number of bilateral meetings will be held on the sidelines of the
summit.
-0-zak/