World Expo 2025 quartet deliver their bids in Paris

The four country candidates to host World Expo 2025 have made presentations in Paris at the headquarters of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) during its 162^nd General Assembly, 15 November. The four candidates are from France (Greater Paris), Japan (Osaka), the Russian Federation (Ekaterinburg), and Azerbaijan (Baku). The delegations took along leading politicians and showed video presentations, as well as briefing the BIE on the finer detail of their bids. The 170 member states of the BIE will elect the host country at their 164th General Assembly in November 2018. ‘Changing the World: Innovations and Better Life for Future Generations’ is the theme of the Russian city of Ekaterinburg’s bid for the World Expo 2025. The Urals capital  is located at the crossroads of major transportation ways connecting Asia and Europe and its bid is concentrated on innovations and how can they influence the lives of future generations. A video: ‘Changing the World: Innovations and Better Life for Future Generations’ backed up the main bid documents. Other candidates for Expo 2025 are Paris, Osaka and Baku. The Paris delegation gathered 100 young people who were invited to become ambassadors for France’s bid to hold the huge event. Jean-Christophe Fromantin, president of ExpoFrance 2025, said: “France needs an important project which attests its calling in globalisation and settles growth drivers and stimulates its attractiveness. Organising a universal exhibition will make this ambition come true.” The focus of the French bid is youth the theme is: ‘Sharing our Knowledge, Caring for Our Planet.’ Osaka governor Ichiro Matsui and mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura led the lobby for the Japanese city’s bid to host the 2025 World Expo. And Azerbaijan’s first vice-president, Mehriban Aliyeva, attended a reception for her capital’s bid for the Expo. “Our theme – ‘Developing human capital, building a better future’ – is indeed of universal concern,” she said. “It addresses the great challenge of our time – the impact of technology and increasing connectivity on humankind. “At Baku Expo 2025, we believe it will be crucial to look beyond technology, and to focus on the people who power economies, communities and creativity – from leaders to ordinary citizens. We will put people… human capital – the world’s most powerful resource – at the centre of universal debate. “World Expo in Baku will offer the organisation a chance to engage with new audiences in a new market.” The next World Expo will take place in Dubai, UAE, between 20 October 2020 and 10 April 2021 under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.