The stadium in the city of Artashat can be reconstructed based on international standards to hold athletics competitions there, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Arayik Harutyunyan said during the preliminary discussion of the draft state budget for 2020.

According to him, he has got acquainted with the state of the local stadium and held a meeting with the mayor of the city about the possibility of implementing a program for its reconstruction.

International donors supported the initiative to create a stadium in Armenia for international athletics competitions and are ready to make large investments. 

The minister noted that the Artashat stadium is also convenient because it is close to Yerevan.

Bright Armenia party MP Armen Yeghiazaryan, in his turn, noted that according to the information received from the Athletics Federation, the investment project could cost as much as $ 1 billion. 

“There are no stadiums of international standard for athletics in Armenia. Almost all stadiums are adapted exclusively for football, but international donors are ready to invest in equipping treadmills and fields for athletic sports,” he said.