China News Agency, Paris, May 29 (Reporter Li Yang) The International Exhibition Bureau (National Exhibition Bureau) General Assembly officially approved the Dubai World Expo to be postponed for one year on the 29th local time.
The National Exhibition Bureau headquartered in Paris issued a communique that evening, announcing that the duration of the Dubai World Expo will be officially changed from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The change of session was made at the request of the government of the United Arab Emirates.
The communiqué said that the participating countries of the Dubai World Expo Steering Committee meeting expressed the need to postpone the holding of the World Expo to overcome the challenges posed by the new coronary pneumonia epidemic. The Executive Committee of the National Exhibition Bureau reviewed the request and agreed on April 21 to postpone the Expo 2020 Dubai.
According to the requirements of relevant international conventions, changing the date of the Expo will require the support of a two-thirds majority of the members of the National Exhibition Bureau. The Executive Committee of the National Exhibition Bureau will therefore request the National Exhibition Bureau to vote. The National Exhibition Bureau General Assembly vote was held from April 24 to May 29. Due to the new Coronary Pneumonia epidemic, member countries conducted a remote vote. The two-thirds majority vote of the member countries was reached on May 4th, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Executive Committee of the National Exhibition Bureau, the vote will continue until the local time in Paris at 6 pm on May 29th, all relevant procedures have been completed.
Secretary General of the National Exhibition Bureau Kekenches welcomed the international community's support for the postponement of the Dubai World Expo. He said that although it is very rare to postpone the World Expo, the response of the UAE government and the members of the National Exhibition Bureau shows that our bonds are strong and can jointly achieve a truly inclusive World Expo.
Kekenches said the difficulties caused by the new coronary pneumonia epidemic illustrate the importance of sharing solutions and coordinating international action. Now, the world is looking forward to the holding of the Dubai World Expo more than ever, and welcoming the future with "communication, reflection and celebration".
The Dubai World Expo was originally planned to be held in Dubai, UAE from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021. Due to the impact of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, the Tokyo Olympics originally planned for 2020 will also be postponed to 2021. (Finish)