Luxembourg confirms participation in Expo 2020

dubai - It s one of the first countries to formally confirm participation in the global trade fair

Expo 2020 Dubai on Monday announced Luxembourg as one of the first countries to formally confirm its participation. Luxembourg has formally announced its commitment to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai.

The agreement was made at a meeting with Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee and Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates airline, during a visit by Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Etienne Schneider.

This followed meetings on Sunday at the Expo 2020 Dubai site with Reem Ibrahim Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau.

This confirmation signifies the latest milestone in the longstanding relationship between Luxembourg and the UAE, and is the product of considerable discussion and engagement between the Expo 2020 and Luxembourg teams on participation. Shaikh Ahmed welcomed Luxembourg's announcement.

"Dubai is a place of connections - a point where the world meets. I warmly welcome Luxembourg which today has become the latest nation to formally commit to take part. It now joins us in creating this global platform for collaboration. I look forward to strengthening our bilateral relations as we work together on our preparations to host Expo 2020."

Schneider said: "I am deeply impressed by the remarkable progress achieved on the exciting journey towards Expo 2020 Dubai. Luxembourg is fully committed to contributing its humble part to making this remarkable event a resounding success."

Al Hashemi said: "We warmly welcome the appointment of Maggy Nagel, the former Minister of Culture and Housing, as the Commissioner-General of Luxembourg to the Expo. The UAE looks forward to working closely with all stakeholders in Luxembourg on our journey to 2020 and to building a programme of engagement that will not only strengthen our bilateral relations but also will serve as a platform for Luxembourg to promote its national priorities to a global audience."

Al Hashemi added that "to date, we have received 70 national commitments from countries from all around the world and we look forward to welcoming more participants in the coming months ahead. We are very excited about the positive receptivity that our Expo has had and we will continue to work diligently to secure not only a confirmed presence, but also a high quality exposition."

Luxembourg's main themes for participation will be centered on generating economic growth in a manner which is sustainable and respectful, both on earth and in space. Luxembourg's strong history in telecommunications and satellite operations reflects Expo 2020 Dubai's sub-theme of 'Mobility', which will examine the creation of smarter and more productive connections, physically and virtually.

Luxembourg and the UAE enjoy strong bilateral relations and a number of memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements have been entered into between both countries in the areas of space exploration, financial services and non-oil trade.

- business@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai