Mali: Huge interest from around the world; 114 countries confirmed participation in EXPO 2027 PHOTO

"I welcome you to Belgrade and Serbia. It is a great honor and pleasure for me to have the opportunity to address you on behalf of our Government of the Republic of Serbia, as well as to greet you on behalf of our President Aleksandar Vučić. More than 400 delegates from 154 countries, 5 international institutions are participating here, that means 159 countries, which institution shows not only the justification of the organization of EXPO 2027, but also the huge interest of all the countries of the world," said Minister of Finance Siniša Mali.

As Mali stated, we are the only country with an investment rating and full membership of the European Union.

"It speaks of the stability and economic policy that the Government of Serbia is conducting with our president. It is a big change compared to 13 years ago. We consider EXPO 2027 to be the greatest development opportunity not only for Serbia but also for the entire region," he said.

We are building a new complex in Belgrade that will be dedicated to EXPO2027, it is located on an area of ​​over 200 hectares. It will be the most modern complex with the National Stadium, 1500 apartments that we are building for EXPO 2027 members. In the next two days, you will have the opportunity to see what it will look like, as well as thousands and thousands of workers and machines working to hand over the keys to you as participants on December 1," explained Mali.

According to him, 114 countries have confirmed their participation in EXPO 2027.

Participation in the IPM has been confirmed by more than 140 countries, with 350 delegates, from all continents, even from the distant Pacific. There will be not only European countries, such as Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, but also countries such as Jamaica, Japan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, China, Cuba, Eswatini.

The opening of the largest diplomatic gathering is attended by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, Secretary General of the International Bureau for Exhibitions Dimitri Kerkentzes and the director of the company "Expo 2027" Belgrade Dušan Borovčanin, who will give introductory speeches at the opening of the two-day meeting, and among those present is the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Marko Čadež.

It is the first of four preparatory meetings with representatives of the participating countries and countries interested in participating in the exhibition.

B92.net/J.J.

At the very beginning, the director of the company "Expo 2027", Dušan Borovčanin, addressed the attendees and welcomed everyone.

"I want to congratulate everyone for waking up in Belgrade and for coming here for the first meeting to plan EXPO 2027. Honestly, this event would not have been possible without the great effort and work put in by many people who are here in the room," Borovčanin said.

The highest representatives of countries from all parts of the world, ministers, deputy ministers, state secretaries, ambassadors and directors of national institutions, who lead key policies in the fields of foreign trade, economic development, sports, tourism, culture, innovation, education and youth, arrived in the capital of Serbia.

The aim of the meeting is for the participants to familiarize themselves with the results of the preparations so far for the specialized exhibition that will be held in Belgrade in 2027, and the guests will be presented with further steps and activities in preparation for holding the Belgrade Expo.

Delegates participating in this event will also be able to visit the Expo construction site and learn about the dynamics of the works.

Through the "Show room" at the Belgrade Fair, they will have the opportunity to find out what they can expect at the upcoming specialized exhibition.

IPM is an opportunity to gather in one place the organizers of EXPO 2027, officials of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE) and representatives of countries and international organizations to discuss the progress and ongoing preparations for the first international exhibition in the Western Balkans.

It is the first major international preparatory event for EXPO 2027, during which interested countries and those that have already confirmed participation, through a series of meetings, plenary sessions and presentations, will be able to get to know the expectations of BIE, the organizational team of EXPO 2027 Belgrade, the theme and sub-themes of the exhibition, the master plan of the location, the progress and dynamics of works on the construction site, the way the web portal for international participants functions, the program, the content, logistics and all on-site operations to ensure the entire exhibition runs flawlessly.

Representatives of the countries will also be able to receive useful technical information about the construction and design of the pavilion and the entire construction site, as well as a special exhibition space in Hall 5 of the Belgrade Fair (EXPO Playground), which will soon be open to the public and will represent a kind of simulation of EXPO 2027 Belgrade.

The specialized exhibition EXPO 2027 will be held from May 15 to August 15, 2027 and will last 93 days. 

The main theme of the exhibition is "Game(s) for Humanity: Sports and Music for All" and has three thematic units: The Power of Game, Let's Play Together and Game(s) for Progress.