Slovenia announces participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka
Ljubljana - Slovenia intends to take part in the Expo 2025 that will be hosted from 13 April and 13 October 2025 by Japan's Osaka. If the country is to present itself with an independent pavilion, the cost of the project has been estimated at EUR 15 million.
The announcement comes on Thursday as the government decided to authorise Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek to sign a statement of intent for Slovenia's participation at the world exposition three years from now.
The Japanese organisers expect that around 150 countries and 25 international organisations will participate in the event, which is projected to be visited by more than 28 million people, the Slovenian Economy Ministry said.
If Slovenia is to be featured with an independent pavilion, the government expects that the project will cost EUR 15 million.
The ministry said that this estimate was based on Slovenia's appearance at the Expo 2020 in Dubai, the assumption that the prices of materials and services will continue to rise, and the higher expected logistics costs due to the location.
The world exposition in 2025 is intended to address the challenges of survival and ways to reduce the impact of diseases, pandemics, natural disasters, food shortages and other issues faced by the entire international community.
The ministry added that focus would be on presenting new technologies and innovation that will help humans in the post-Covid life and represent a turning point in the battle against Covid-19 and beginning of a new era, a new society of the future.
"In this sense, the Osaka Expo will provide the opportunity to see whether it is possible to create society 5.0," it said, adding that the organisers would make a completely virtual tour of the exhibition available to the wider audience.
The exhibition grounds will be divided in three segments, with pavilions representing three sub-themes - Saving Lives, Empowering Lives and Connecting Lives. The main theme is Designing Future Society for Our Lives.