Paris: The UAE has secured crucial support of the French government in its bid to host Expo 2020, a top official confirmed.
“Yes, we have been assured of France’s support for the Expo 2020 bid,” Mohammad Meer Abdullah Al Rafesi, UAE Ambassador to France, told the media at a diplomatic reception, attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
This is the second major breakthrough for the UAE, following the United Kingdom’s support for UAE’s bid announced last month, following the official visit by the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in April.
“We are talking to all the members of the BIE residing here. However, other competing cities are also doing the same and it will be difficult to say anything ahead of the crucial votes in November. However, we are optimistic and with the wonderful presentation, we are more confident now,” he said.
The UAE Embassy in Paris is currently full of activities relating to the UAE’s Expo 2020 bid. The embassy has a key role to play in garnering diplomatic support for the bid, as most members of the Bureau International Des Expositions (BIE) are located in Paris.
