Dear Representatives of the media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

It is my pleasure to welcome you today at an official press conference dedicated to the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia from June 14 to July 15.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Football Association of Malaysia and Russian Centre of Science and Culture for their support and cooperation in organizing today’s media conference. Terima kasih! Thank you so much for the valuable and challenging work you have done.

FIFA World Cup is less than half of the month away. It seems like an instant passed since December 2010 when Russia was granted an opportunity to host this magnificent event. But in fact it was eight years of hard and devoted work to make a beautiful dream come true.

National Program of Preparation for the World Cup was initiated in Russia in 2013. A combined amount of more than 10 billion US dollars was spent under this program for infrastructure development, including construction and reconstruction of stadiums, recreation and training centres, roads, railway and public transport stations, parking spaces, etc. To welcome the finalist nations and foreign spectators, Russia has built 6 new stadiums with total capacity of 260 thousand seats. A new airport was opened in
Rostov-on-Don city. These are just few examples of a titanic work that was done for such a short period of time.

The number of the host cities holding tournament matches is also without precedent. 64 matches will be played on the grounds of 12 stadiums in 11 cities of the Western part of Russia. 32 training bases for national teams will operate in host cities and nearby towns.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The World Cup means a lot to Russia and its citizens. On top of welcoming guests from all over the World, Russia gives its visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with its diverse culture, centuries-old history and unique nature, experience traditional Russian hospitality and openness. Russia knows how to welcome its friends and I can assure everyone here that if you plan to visit our country next month, you will never forget this wonderful and inspiring experience.

Russia has already made many important arrangements to facilitate the entry of foreign guests to its territory and to make their stay as comfortable as possible. This includes visa-free entrance to Russia for the whole period of World Cup events and even longer, to be precise from June 4 to July 15. Spectators are required to possess so-called FAN-ID, a document that identifies person as a football fan and can be obtained online free of charge. In order to make visitors’ travel between World Cup host cities less troublesome and expensive, we provide our guests with free-of-charge public transportation. These are just few of all amenities that Russia has to offer to national teams and football fans.

For media representatives, who do not have official FIFA accreditation, as well as for independent journalists and bloggers who are planning to cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup, special city press centres will be operating in each host city. These press centres will hold regular news conferences, briefings and video linkups. Journalists will also be able to join guided tours and workshops. What’s the most important is that World Cup matches will be broadcasted live.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have no doubt that the upcoming World Cup will have an immense impact on the development of football – not only in Russia, but around the world. People will see what this beautiful game is truly about. Lasting friendships will be fostered and fair play will be promoted at every opportunity. Our goal is to demonstrate that these fundamental human values are immune to the constantly changing political landscape in the World and will continue to define sport for decades to come.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are much honoured to know that upcoming World Cup attracts so much attention from many Malaysian educational, media, sports and entertainment organisations. We know that Malaysians are passionate football fans, and hope that here in Malaysia you will enjoy watching the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, as much as we will enjoy hosting it.

         All of us in Russia are looking forward to June. We want the World Cup to be held at the highest level and we will do our best to achieve this result.

Thank you for your attention.