EXPO-2017-GOVERNMENT

                    APPROVES NATIONAL PLAN

Astana, January18: Preparations for the hosting of EXPO-17 in Astana are advancing according to plan, the Government of Kazakhstan heard at a special session on January 15, when the Minister for Economic Trade and Development, Erbolat Dossayev,presented a draft National Plan for the organization and production of the international exhibition.
    Development of the National Plan was one of the key tasks assigned to Government last November by the newly-formed State Commission on preparation for EXPO-2017, established by President Nazarbayev and chaired by Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov. In Astana this week, the Plan was adopted by Government and approved by the State Commission. Approval of the National Plan preceded the fi rst visit to Astana, since the city won the bid to host the EXPO, by Vicente Loscertales, Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the Paris-based body which manages the international exhibitions. During his stay, which spanned January 15-17, Mr Loscertales met with President Nazarbayev and with Prime Minister Akhmetov, Deputy Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov, Minister for Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov and the Mayor of Astana, Imangali Tasmagambetov, with whom he discussed preparations for the hosting of EXPO-2017, as well as a regular joint review of developing events.

        EXPO-2017 will be the fi rst time that a major international exhibition of this kind is held in a country from the former Soviet Union. Based around the theme of “Future Energy”, the EXPO is intended to serve as a platform for speeding up the sharing of innovative technologies and creating new impulses for regional co-operation, especially in areas relating to energy and environmental security. With over fi ve million visitors from 100 countries expected to descend on Astana for EXPO-2017, the overall preparatory task is a formidable one, but as the National Plan shows, it is already well underway.
        The National Plan details the management of 78 tasks,by eight working groups which will draw people from 12 Government agencies. Over 90% of the tasks, in this initial phase, are scheduled for completion during 2013,across all the mayoral regions of Kazakhstan, including Astana, Almaty and Samruk-Kazyna.
        A National Company, “Astana EXPO-2017”, will be set up to manage the design and building of infrastructure and facilities for EXPO-2017. An Organizing Committee headed by the Deputy Prime Minister will coordinate the activities of the eight working groups across all areas of preparation, while the O" ce of National Consultants will develop the progress reports which will henceforth be presented twice-yearly to the BIE General Assembly, as well as providing Kazakhstan’s delegation to the Assembly and to regular meetings of the BIE Executive Committee.
       The EXPO-2017 Support Fund will continue its cooperation with other country members of the BIE and will fulfi l the commitment to provide fi nancial assistance for scientifi c research into renewable energy sources.
The fi rst progress report on implementation of the National Plan will be presented to the BIE next October and details of the next stage of preparations, from 2014-2017, will then be fi nalized.