ASTANA WINS EXPO 2017

Astana, November 23: Astana – the capital city of Kazakhstan - was voted host for EXPO 2017.
In a secret ballot, the 161 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) voted overwhelmingly for Astana over the Belgian city of Liège.
The theme for EXPO 2017 in Astana is ‘Energy of the Future’ (Liège had ‘Connecting the world, linking people, better living together…’). This theme highlights the problems related to energy conservation and will promote alternative energy sources in order to bring people of all nations together to help solve global environmental threats and energy issues.
Astana will allocate over 25 hectares for pavilions at EXPO 2017. Over 100 countries and six international organizations will take part in the event. The site has convenient access to Astana city centre, the international airport and railway. The EXPO site is also linked with a network of Kazakhstan’s inter-city roads to ensure easy access from all over Kazakhstan and beyond. 
Astana estimates that over 5 million visitors from all over the world will come to EXPO 2017 during the period of June 10th to September 10th 2017. 
Kazakhstan was the first nation in Central Asia to submit an application of EXPO. 
Astana’s EXPO win was celebrated in Paris by even Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev who is in town for meetings with French President François Hollande. Also in Paris for meetings are Kairat Kelimbetov, Kazakhstan’s Vice Prime Minister (and President of EXPO 2017 Astana); the Mayor of Astana, Imangali Tasmagambetov; the Minister of Economic Integration, Zhanar Aitzhanova; and the Minister of the Environment, Nurlan Kapparov. 
The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) is a Paris-based intergovernmental organization created to supervise international exhibitions (also known as Expos or World's Fairs) falling under the jurisdiction of the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions, signed in Paris on 22 November 1928, to oversee the calendar, the bidding, the selection and the organization of World Expositions; and to establish a regulatory framework under which Expo organizers and participants may work together under the best conditions. The BIE regulates two types of expositions: Registered Exhibitions (commonly called World Expos) and Recognized Exhibitions (commonly called International Expositions). EXPO 2017 is a World Expo.