The World Expo 2025 Baku Taskforce in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan has held a presentation at the UN Headquarters in New York to highlight Azerbaijan’s bid to host World Expo 2025 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

The presentation was attended by delegates from over 120 countries.

 Permanent representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations in New York Ambassador Yashar Aliyev made opening remarks stressing that the UN represented a unique platform to reach out to the biggest number of world countries.

Azerbaijan is using this platform today to mobilise support for its bid to host the World Expo in 2025. He introduced Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov, Assistant to the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan who travelled from Baku to address the heads of permanent missions of member-states to the United Nations in New York.

 Amirbayov, head of World Expo 2025 Baku Taskforce and chief delegate of Azerbaijan to the Bureau International des expositions (BIE), presented in detail the rationale behind the decision of Azerbaijan to submit the candidacy of Baku to host the World Expo 2025.

He furthermore explored the theme proposed by Baku - “Developing human capital, building a better future” and sub-themes of education, health and employment - which are aligned with the respective United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Following the presentation, representatives of the UN member states watched a video showcasing the rich history and culture of Azerbaijan, its proven track record of hosting large-scale international events, its key role in facilitating the interconnection between Europe and Asia, its recognition as an international centre of multiculturalism, the beauty of Baku and its unique position to host World Expo for the first time.

The head of the Taskforce invited the UN member states to consider favourably the candidacy of Baku for hosting Expo 2025 and to vote in favour of Azerbaijan at the November 2018 elections to be held at the BIE General Assembly in Paris.

Amirbayov said: “By hosting World Expo 2025, Baku would offer the world an opportunity to explore the future of society and humanity, mobilise all nations to realise UN Development Goals and to effectively address some of the biggest challenges facing our planet today.”

“As the youngest country to host a World Expo, Azerbaijan would encourage the world to find ways to develop human capital globally through investment in education, health and employment. If selected, Baku would be a new destination for a World Expo and would become an inspiration for all other states who have never hosted a World Expo.

“We were honoured to have had the opportunity to meet with so many country delegates at the UN headquarters yesterday. We were delighted to present our vision for Expo 2025 Baku and brief member states on the progress made since the bid dossier of Baku was presented at the headquarters of the BIE in Paris in September 2017,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service