Ekaterinburg Presents its Vision for World Expo 2020

Russian delegation successfully wraps up its first official visit to Paris

PARIS, Nov. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A high-level delegation of the Ekaterinburg Expo 2020 Bid Committee made its first presentation of the Russian bid today, as the members of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and candidate cities gathered at the OECD's Chateau de la Muette in Paris.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111123/DC12096)

The Russian delegation was headed by Victor Khristenko, Minister of Industry & Trade of the Russian Federation, and included Alexander Misharin, Governor of the Sverdlovsk region; Georgy Kalamanov, Deputy Minister of Industry & Trade of the Russian Federation; Eric Bugulov, CEO of the Ekaterinburg Expo 2020 Bid Committee, and Ambassador Alexander Orlov, Russia's ambassador to France.

The Russian city of Ekaterinburg, situated in the Ural Mountains on the border between Asia and Europe, is competing with Ayutthaya (Thailand), Dubai (UAE), Izmir (Turkey) and Sao Paolo (Brazil) to host the World Expo in 2020. The decision on the venue will be taken by a vote of the BIE General Assembly in late 2013.

Ekaterinburg is Russia's fourth largest city. It is a major Eurasian transportation hub, industrial and business center, and has hosted several major domestic and international events in recent years. The city is also a leading Russian cultural, educational and scientific center and gateway to the Ural Mountains' rich natural sites. It is home to 16 universities and several leading research centers.

The Russian delegation proposed a six-month Expo to be held from May 1 to October 31, 2020, with the theme, Global Mind: Uniting All Humanity in a Single Conversation.

"We are delighted to welcome the World Expo to Russia in 2020, which will showcase a young and dynamic Russia to the world. Russia is an inspiring country full of creative potential which will be revealed to the world through our hosting of major international events such as the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi and the 2018 FIFA World Cup," said Minister Khristenko.

The delegation told the BIE that the Ekaterinburg Expo in 2020 will be an excellent opportunity to showcase Russian innovation, technology and scientific advancement, while welcoming countries to a joint conversation on those topics. It pledged strong support from the Russian government at all levels.

"Journey is the best word to describe Ekaterinburg, which has always been a crossroads connecting Europe and Asia. I am convinced if the distinguished members of the Bureau International des Expositions choose to take this journey of open dialogue between nations, no one will regret that choice," Governor Misharin said.

Eric Bugulov, CEO of the Ekaterinburg Expo 2020 Bid Committee, stated: "With our suggested topic of Global Mind, we hope to lift the urban sustainability dialogue initiated by previous Expos onto a global stage, engaging in a conversation about our common future. We hope that by doing so we will leave a fundamental legacy – social, human and emotional – to our country, the BIE family and the entire world."

SOURCE Ekaterinburg Expo 2020 Bid Committee