Georgy Kalamanov

By Lee Hyo-sik

Russia is seeking to host the World Expo in its fourth largest city, Ekaterinburg, situated on the border between Europe and Asia, in 2020 as part of its efforts to promote global peace and prosperity, its top campaigner said Friday.

Georgy Kalamanov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, said Russia has become an increasingly important and mature player on the global stage with aspirations to contribute to global dialogue about where the world is headed and the solutions it needs to meet the challenges of the future.

``I think hosting the 2020 Expo in Ekaterinburg will be a great platform for us to make such contributions to the world,’’ Kalamanov said in an interview with The Korea Times before heading to Yeosu to attend the opening ceremony of the 2012 Expo later in the day. He is a key member of the expo bidding committee.

``The Russian city of Ekaterinburg, situated in the Ural Mountains on the border of Asia and Europe, is vying for the right to host the World Expo in 2020. We want to organize the event for six months from May 1 to Oct. 31 2020,’’ the deputy minister said.

Russia submitted a letter of candidacy to the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) in Paris last October and is now competing with Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Brazil. The decision on the venue for the 2020 Expo will be announced by the end of 2013.

Kalamanov said Moscow sought to host the 2010 Expo but lost to Shanghai. ``Many BIE members now know how enthusiastic we are about hosting the expo through our previous bid. This has and will work to our advantage over our rivals.’’

The deputy minister said he and other committee members have been meeting with 160 BIE members to explain about what Russia wants to achieve by hosting the international fair and how it will contribute to global peace and prosperity.

``We will unveil a detailed slogan late this year. What we want to promote is an idea that all the people should be global minded. In Yeosu, I will try to meet government officials from around the world and seek their support for our bid,’’ he said.

Kalamanov plans to attend the opening ceremony Friday night and visit the Russian Pavilion the following day.

``Yeosu will be a successful event, given its unique theme and the state-of-the-art facilities. In Yeosu, the Russian Pavilion is expect to attract about 1.5 million visitors,’’ he said.