Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is all-set to welcome the world for the one of the biggest event - EXPO 2017 - with the aim to bring the Central Asian states on the global arena with a number of surprises. Some officials of Kazakhstan exclusively talking to Business Recorder said that Pakistani chambers and industries are also showing a great interest in the up-coming expo.
According to the officials, the EXPO 2017 will last for three months, include representatives from approximately 100 countries and is expected to draw three to five million visitors. The huge number of the visitors in one such event will be the first time in the Central Asia's history.
The global events like world expos, sports world cups and others not only bring prosperity in the host country, but also result the immeasurable international exposures. The visitors were given the chance to see the local culture, traditions, the development of infrastructure as well as other sectors like medical, education and economical. In the words of Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary General BIE "traditionally, EXPO exhibitions have been held in Northeast Asia, Europe and North America.
Holding an exhibition in the new (Central Asian) region, which is the bridge between East and West, in a young country, has developed very good relations with European, Middle Eastern countries, former Soviet republics, as well as with all countries of the Central Asian region is an additional advantage, which also strengthens the position of Astana."
President Nazarbayev termed the holding of EXPO 2017 as a turning point for Kazakhstan and the event will start a whole new chapter in economic development of the country.
EXPO 2017 will provide Kazakhstan a unique opportunity to showcase the achievements it has made and the culture it has developed since gaining independence from the Soviet Union. "EXPO 2017 will promote Kazakhstan all over the world. The exhibition defines agenda for the world economic development," said Nazarbayev. The fate of Astana was decided on November 22, 2012 when 156 member countries of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) showed their overwhelming response for Astana and passed 103 votes in a meeting held in Paris. President Nursultan Nazarbayev was present on the occasion and celebrated the result and later in a press conference stated that "I want to inform you that we have just achieved another big victory for our country. This is the greatest achievement at the international level of Kazakhstan's independence," he said. With the overwhelming support from member countries, Kazakhstan became the first country in the Central Asia to host world major event.
Astana in the last couple of years had organised many international events and prove the strength to tackle the huge volume of visitors of Expo 2017. In December 2010, the city hosted 56-nation summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and later the Asian Winter Games during January-February 2011. Both were the first major gatherings of their kind in Central Asia. They also provided Astana's local government, police and service the experience and confidence to tackle hosting EXPO 2017.
Astana with its unique location is close enough to approximately 2.5 billion people and only a three-hour flight from the capital city of India, a five-hour flight from the capital of China and a three-hour flight to Moscow. The host country has already started work on various projects to welcome the world for EXPO 2017. In this regard, the government of Kazakhstan had allocated 250 million euros ($325.25 million) to construct the EXPO site and build a new generation of mass transit and roads to serve it. The government also expects to attract 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in foreign investments for the new buildings, roads and transit systems, including a new city railway system.
"This includes the costs of constructing the exhibition pavilions and new hotels for visitors," said EXPO 2017 National Co-ordinator and Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rapil Zhoshybayev. "This will be mainly paid out of new investments. And it is in line with the average amount spent on holding other EXPOs around the world."
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