BIE Secretary-General at the First International Planning Meeting - EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea

09/04/10 - Organizers of EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea held its "First International Planning Meeting" this week on Wednesday and Thursday (April 7-8) in Seoul and in Yeosu, South Korea.

Representatives from 85 countries and 2 international organizations participated in the meeting, during which issues related to the international participation to the Expo were discussed, including the conditions of participation, logistics, and the thematic content of the Expo.

Opening remarks were made by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea.  Chairman Kang said that "the Yeosu Expo will become an arena where countries can share their visions about the preservation and sustainable development of the oceans."  He expects that the Expo will "become the turning-point where a new blueprint for the future of marine science and technology will be created."

The Secretary-General of the BIE, Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, also addressed the meeting: "Your presence here is a sign of a friendship that links countries and of a shared understanding that the world needs opportunities. Yeosu 2012 is an opportunity to talk about what we can do to improve the quality of our maritime resources, and what solutions we can implement in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity."

The Commissioner of the Expo, Ambassador Lee Joon-hee, stressed the importance the Korean government is putting on the event: "The Korean government regards the Yeosu Expo as one of its highest priorities, and is firmly committed to hosting a successful Expo in 2012 with the enthusiastic support of the Korean people."  He stated that the aim is "not only to provide a vision for the protection and conservation of the oceans, but to showcase the future of green technology in this field. As such, the Expo 2012 will serve as a unifying force in making Mother Earth a cleaner and greener place to live."

Participants were then presented with the master plan of the Expo and an introduction to Korea's southern coastal region.  Presentations were also made on the international pavilions at the Expo, the support to be provided to participants, key features of the Expo including the Yeosu Declaration and Yeosu Project, issues related to the transportation, accomodation, and operations at the Expo, as well as on the commercial and promotional activities of the event.

On Thursday, participants visited the site of the Expo in Yeosu.

EXPO Yeosu will be held for three months in 2012 (May 12 - August 12), with the theme, "The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities."

So far, 44 countries and 3 international organizations have officially confirmed their participation to the Expo.