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Authorities and residents should choose site for FIFA WC 2018 stadium in Kaliningrad

President Vladimir Putin noted that all plans should be in line with a common concept

NOVO-OGAREVO, October 9 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian most westerly city of Kaliningrad will be one of venues of the FIFA World Cup in 2018, regional authorities jointly with the Russian government and local residents should pick up a site to build a stadium in the city, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Governor of Kaliningrad Region Nikolai Tsukanov at the Russian presidential countryside residence on Wednesday.

The governor told the president about blue print and initial construction works of the stadium. “The location of this stadium is heatedly debated, but everybody came and (representatives of) FIFA examined it,” he said with the reference to Oktyabrsky Island as a site for the stadium.

“This is not me that proposed this site, but we believe that for the development of the city of Kaliningrad this is the only proper land plot in the centre of the city, actually 200 hectares. This will be a very good start-up investment floor,” Tsukanov said with confidence.

“In fact, it is needed to build one more bridge, but it is needed to be built bypassing the city of Kaliningrad. The city is suffocating without it. But this is an investment project. We will get at least three rubles from investors per each ruble invested in this island,” he added.

As for the project the governor said that the idea is to create ‘an island of federation’ and to propose to the regions, which host the FIFA World Cup in 2018, to build or design the buildings that are characteristic of these Russian constituent entities on the island. “For instance, Rostov-on-Don, the architects from Rostov should design and build something here,” the governor added.

For his part, Putin noted that all plans should be in line with a common concept.

“We are developing a common concept. Now there are many disputes over the issue, I ask you to put an end to them: whether or not Kaliningrad will host the FIFA World Cup, whether the stadium should be built at some concrete place. In fact, many monetary funds are needed, but we also want to develop the city thanks to the FIFA World Cup,” Tsukanov said.

“Kaliningrad will host the FIFA World Cup,” the president pledged. “You should take a decision yourself together with the city residents and the Russian government where to build a stadium,” Putin added.

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