Astana, Kazakhstan, March 31
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
Kazakhstan will be able to attract nearly $1 billion worth of investment by holding the Astana EXPO-2017 international exhibition, Chairman of the Board of Astana EXPO-2017 National Company JSC, Talgat Yermegiyaev said at a briefing in Astana on March 31.
"Only by creating an Expo Center on the allocated territory covering the area of 170 hectares for holding the international exhibition, Kazakhstan will be able to attract around $1 billion worth investments, according to the preliminary data," Yermegiyaev said.
Yermegiyaev gave an example of an EXPO exhibition held in Shanghai in 2010.
"After holding the EXPO in Shanghai in 2010, the air transportation volume, the hospitality business and catering increased by 20 times each in China. Our country is not China, but we plan to get roughly the same figures. The EXPO exhibition in Spanish Saragossa helped to attract approximately $1 billion worth of investments from corporate customers," the national company head said.
Additionally, EXPO will help to create a knowledge-based framework for the conservation of energy on earth. It will create not only 20,000 new jobs but conditions for development of small and medium-sized businesses, according to Yermegiyaev.
The feasibility study of EXPO in Astana will be ready in two weeks and it will reflect the exact cost of the international exhibition project in Astana, according to the national company head.
Astana was chosen as a venue for holding the EXPO specialized international exhibition in 2017. Kazakhstan proposed "Future Energy" as the theme of Expo 2017. It aims to find ways for qualitative changes in energy, as well as first of all the development of alternative energy sources and new methods of its transportation.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by C.N.