Greece withdraws from 2025 World Expo in Osaka, becoming 8th nation
Source: – Kyodo News+
Greece has decided to withdraw from the World Expo scheduled for next year in Osaka, Japan, the organizer said Friday, with the European country citing fiscal constraints.
It is the eighth country to drop out after initially planning to participate in the expo, to be hosted by the commercial hub of western Japan, amid concerns about the event’s ballooning costs.
The Japan Association for the International Exposition, meanwhile, made a formal announcement that Ukraine, which has been under invasion by Russia since 2022, will join the event, keeping the number of participating countries and regions unchanged at 161.
Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 21, 2024, shows the Great Ring, a gigantic wooden structure symbolizing the site of the 2025 World Exposition, lit up in a test run on an artificial island in the western Japan city of Osaka. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Greece had intended to use the “Type B” pavilion, renting and exclusively using a facility constructed by Japan. The organizer said it will reconsider how to utilize the space in the future. The expo is slated to run for six months from April 2025.
So far, Mexico, Estonia, Russia, Niue, Argentina, Afghanistan and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the event. The organizer said Ukraine will take part in the “Type C” pavilion, which will be built by Japan and shared among participants.
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