Expo 2012 Yeosu, Korea |14 April 2010

Compared to Shanghai 2010 scheduled from May 1 till October 31 (world expos are held every four years and last six months) and expected to attract 70 million visitors, Yeosu is an international exhibition -- organized every two years and lasts three months -- aiming to record eight million visitors.

Eighty-three countries and two international organisations took part in this planning meeting, including 43 countries having already confirmed their participation in Yeosu, among which Seychelles, the 3rd in Africa having expressed its willingness to play an active role in this exhibition whose theme “The living ocean and coast” focuses exclusively on ocean-related challenges facing island states and coastal countries, due in particular to climate change and global warming.

Seychelles’ participation in the planning meeting in Seoul is a follow-up action of the meeting between President James Michel and the Chairman of Yeosu Organising Committee, Kang Dong-Suk, on October 14, during President Michel’s official visit to Korea at the invitation of President Lee Myung Bak.

The Korean government will spend US $30 million in the form of goods and services to facilitate the participation of small islands developing states and other developing countries, and another US $10 million will be allocated to a number of projects in line with the Expo theme and to be submitted in the coming weeks by participating countries for implementation in 2011 and 2012, prior to the Expo’s official opening.

Yeosu will also act as a platform of dialogue and concrete exchanges on the concept of “Blue Economy”, according to which creative new science technology, bio-technology and environment technology are applied to the ocean for the prudent use and preservation of its resources.

Seychelles’ delegation at the meeting comprised Ambassador Philippe Le Gall and Patsy Moustache from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Seychelles’ Honorary Consul in Korea, Dong Chang Jeong.

On this occasion, Ambassador Le Gall met separately with the commissioner general of Yeosu 2012, Ambassador Lee Joon-hee and the secretary general of the International Bureau of Exhibitions, Vicente Loscertales.

Seychelles’ representative, also non-resident ambassador to Korea, availed of this opportunity to talk about the country’s policy and efforts to address the issues covered by Yeosu Expo theme, and he stressed in particular the importance of the Sea Level Rise Foundation launched by President Michel.

During his visit to Seoul, Ambassador Le Gall had also bilateral talks with the new director general for African and Middle Eastern Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Jong Geun Kim.