Expo 2025

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) announces that Japan (Osaka), Russia (Ekaterinburg) and Azerbaijan (Baku) are moving into the final stage of the World Expo 2025 candidature process, which will end with the election of the host country in November 2018.

During the 163rd General Assembly of the BIE on 12 June, Member States gave their approval to the recommendations of the Executive Committee, which considered all three Expo projects to be viable and in line with BIE regulations. These recommendations were based on the findings of Enquiry Missions carried out in the three candidate countries in March and April 2018.

The task of the Enquiry Missions was to assess and validate the feasibility and viability of each Expo project, notably assessing the motivations behind the Expo bid, the attractiveness of the proposed Expo theme, the proposed site and its planned re-use after the Expo, levels of local and national support for the project, expected participation, and the financial feasibility plans.

“The Enquiry Missions have allowed us to determine the soundness of each World Expo project. We are happy to see the three of them move into the next phase of the bidding process, during which each candidate will promote their Expo vision to win the hearts and minds of the 170 Member States of the BIE”, commented Vicente G. Loscertales, the Secretary General of the BIE.

Following the approval, Japan, Russia and Azerbaijan will present their respective Expo projects to delegates on the second day of the General Assembly on Wednesday 13 June. The three countries will continue to promote their respective Expo projects until the 164th General Assembly of the BIE in November 2018, when Member States of the BIE will vote to determine the host country of World Expo 2025.

As part of the bidding process for the organisation of World Expo 2025, an Enquiry Mission from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) arrived today in Baku. The Enquiry Mission will assess the bid submitted by Azerbaijan to organise a World Expo in its capital city between 10 May and 10 November 2025. It is the last of the three Enquiry Missions, the first two having already taken place in Japan and Russia, the two other candidates.

During the three-day visit, the Enquiry Mission will receive detailed presentations of the bid project and exchange with national and local officials, as well as representatives of the business community and members of civil society.

The Enquiry Mission will be welcomed by Elchin Amirbayov, Assistant to the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of Expo 2025 Baku Azerbaijan Task Force. During the visit, the delegation will also meet with Government Ministers and with representatives of Milli Majilis, the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan. A tour of the proposed Expo site, located east of the city centre, close to the international airport, will be organised on 18 April.

The task of the Enquiry Mission is to assess and validate the feasibility and viability of the Expo project, a necessary step for the candidature to go further in the selection process. This evaluation will ascertain Azerbaijan’s proposals for World Expo 2025 following the submission of its bid dossier.

The Enquiry Mission will assess the motivations behind the Expo bid, the attractiveness of the proposed Expo theme, the proposed site and its planned re-use after the Expo, levels of local and national support for the project, expected participation, and the financial feasibility plan.

In its bid dossier, Azerbaijan outlines its vision for Expo 2025 and identifies the theme of the proposed Expo in Baku as “Developing Human Capital, Building a Better Future”. This theme aims to explore the way talent and potential can be nurtured and how new technologies can be harnessed for the benefit of everyone. If elected, the Expo would take place east of Baku, near the international airport, between 10 May and 10 November 2025. The bid committee forecasts that the Expo would receive a total of 18 million visits over the six-month period.

Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) assessing Azerbaijan’s bid for World Expo 2025 have completed the Enquiry Mission in candidate city Baku.

The Enquiry Mission arrived in Azerbaijan on Monday, 16 April for a three-day programme during which they met with political leaders, learnt more about the Expo project and its theme, “Developing Human Capital, Building a Better Future”, and exchanged with representatives of the Expo bid.

The Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the bid project and was given a tour of the proposed Expo site, located east of Baku, close to the international airport. During the presentations, the Enquiry Mission exchanged with key figures involved in the development of the Expo bid, including architects, event planners, youth representatives, and entrepreneurs. The delegation also visited the Heydar Aliyev Centre, where they were presented with an overview of Azerbaijan’s global projects and construction industry.

Reiterating the broad level of national support for the Expo 2025 project, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, met with the Enquiry Mission on 18 April.

During the three-day visit to Azerbaijan, the Enquiry Mission also had the opportunity to discuss the Expo 2025 bid project with Government Ministers, including the acting Minister of Finance and Chair of the Bidding Committee, Samir Sharifov, as well as the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmar Mammadyarov, and the acting Minister of Education, Jeyhun Bayramov.

On the final day of the visit, the Enquiry Mission visited Milli Majilis, the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where they met with Speaker Ogtay Asadov.

Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) assessing Russia’s bid for World Expo 2025 have completed the Enquiry Mission after visiting candidate city Ekaterinburg and the capital, Moscow.

The Enquiry Mission arrived in Russia on Monday, 2 April for a three-day programme during which they met with political leaders, learnt more about the Expo project, and exchanged with key figures involved in the Expo project and the development of its theme, “Changing the World: Innovations and Better Life for Future Generations.”

In Ekaterinburg, the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the bid project and were given a tour of the proposed Expo site, located next to the Verkh-Isetsky pond, close to the centre of Ekaterinburg. The BIE delegation were also given a tour of the Yeltsin centre and were presented with the development plans of the Koltsovo airport.

Demonstrating the broad level of local support for the bid, the BIE delegation was received by the Governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Evgeny Kuyvashev, on 3 April. During this reception, members of the Enquiry Mission had the opportunity to exchange with local politicians, representatives of local business, science and environmental organisations, as well as key civil society figures.

Reiterating national support for the Expo bid, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, met with members of the Enquiry Mission in Moscow on 5 April. The delegation also held meetings with the Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, and the Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Evgeny Bushmin.