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| ▲ Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during the 16th South Korea-Central Asia forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Nov. 1, 2023 (local time), in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
FM-France-expo bid
FM Park to visit France this week in final pitch for World Expo 2030
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Park Jin will travel to France this week in the final pitch for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern city of Busan, the foreign ministry said Thursday, with less than a month to go before the winner will be announced.
Park will make a two-day trip to Paris from Wednesday to Thursday (local time) and plans to meet with officials representing each member country at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international body in charge of overseeing the World Expo, to rally support for Seoul's expo bid, the ministry said.
Park will also meet Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary general of the BIE, explain South Korea's campaign efforts and ask for attention to the host bid.
"Our country has been making all-out efforts in the World Expo campaign, led by the public and private sectors as 'Korea One Team,' and we are seeing an increase in the support from across all regions," a foreign ministry official told reporters.
"According to officials familiar with the BIE and media outlets, it's going to be a close race," the official said. "The ministry will prioritize our diplomatic activities in securing the swing votes, which we believe will determine the outcome."
Park is flying to Paris from Turkmenistan, where he had been visiting since earlier in the week to attend a forum involving Central Asian countries.
The BIE is due to announce the winner on Nov. 28. South Korea is competing against Italy and Saudi Arabia.
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