Environment & Energy | Friday 20 January, 2017 6:35 am |

A delegation of EXPO 2017 National Company is taking part in the 10th World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.

"Participating in such a large-scale event dedicated to the development of green energy in the world is very important for us. Kazakhstan and the UAE have similar goals in terms of economic diversification, the development of renewable energy sources and reducing oil dependence," said the Chairman of Astana EXPO 2017 National Company, Akhmetzhan Yessimov.

A special area of EXPO 2017 will be opened at the Summit. Its visitors will be able to learn about key events of the exhibition, its pavilions, participants, projects, Kazakhstan’s goals for the development of green energy, and the country's amazing attractions. The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev will participate in the opening ceremony.

The business program of the Summit will include a speech by the Commissioner of EXPO 2017, Rapil Zhoshybayev, which will be delivered on January 18 at a panel session dedicated to the development of sustainable energy. 

On January 15, representatives of EXPO 2017 and EXPO 2020 signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The document was signed by the Chairman of Astana EXPO 2017 National Company, Akhmetzhan Yessimov, and the Managing Director for the Dubai World Expo 2020, Reem Al Hashimi. 

The Emirates signed the participation agreement in October, 2015. The floor area of the UAE pavilion at EXPO 2017 will be more than 980 sq. m. The neighboring pavilions will be France, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

From June to September, Kazakhstan will also turn into a global venue, where experts, scientists, politicians and business professionals will discuss today's energy challenges. The Energy Best Practices Area at EXPO 2017 will showcase over 20 leading international projects in the field of renewable energy, including Solar Impulse.

Kazakhstan, a signatory of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, has been pursuing a serious policy focused on the development of a 'green' economy. It is planned that the share of renewable energy sources in the national energy mix will increase to 10 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050.

As a part of the preparations for EXPO 2017, Kazakhstan is actively working on developing tourism. From January 1, visa-free travel was introduced for citizens of 48 nations, including the UAE. The country was recently featured in the New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2017” – a leading annual list of tourist destinations. EXPO 2017 was mentioned by its authors as a key event worth visiting.