The News Minute| July 11, 2014| 05:10 pm IST

Moscow: In a first for the football World Cup, foreign fans and participants to the next championships in 2018 in Russia will be able to visit the country without visas immediately before and during the competition, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

"We passed a federal law establishing a special visa regime for foreigners who help organise the 2018 Championship enabling not only the official participants, such as the athletes, referees, coaches and others, but also the fans to visit Russia without visas right before and during the competition," Putin told media here.

In an interview before his visit to Brazil to witness the Germany-Argentina World Cup final where the championship host baton is to be ceremonially passed from Brazil to Russia, Putin said Russia is "very carefully" analysing Brazil's experience in hosting the championships of the world's most popular sport.

"Representatives of several ministries and organisations, including the Ministry of Sports and the Russia-2018 Organising Committee are in constant contact with Brazilian colleagues," he said.

IANS