On Sunday, Nizhny Novgorod hosted the FIFA World Cup match between England and Panama, which ended 6-1 to England and was attended by more than 5,000 Panamanians, who, according to the ambassador, were "impressed by the reception, organization and the hospitality of Nizhny Novgorod residents."

"We know that this [Nizhny Novgorod region] is one of the largest industrial centers in Russia, and we are ready to participate in building the region's relations with several Latin American countries at once," the ambassador said after his meeting with the region's Acting Deputy Governor Yevgeny Lyulin.

Lyulin said that after the 2018 World Cup, a new stage of economic and humanitarian cooperation between Nizhny Novgorod and Panama would begin.