PARIS, June 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The delegation from Kazakhstan took part in the 159th General Assembly of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris.

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Akhmetzhan Yessimov, Chairman of the Board of National Company "Astana EXPO-2017", and Rapil Zhoshybayev, Commissioner for EXPO-2017, delivered a report on the progress of preparations for the event.

"To create favorable conditions for foreign tourists, last year Kazakhstan abolished the visa regime with 20 developed countries. This was done unilaterally. Starting from January 1, 2017, countries with visa-free access will include the OECD members, Malaysia, Monaco, the UAE and Singapore," said Mr. Zhoshybayev in his Paris report.

"We also signed an ADS agreement, which will enable Chinese tourists to travel to Kazakhstan in guided groups.  The agreement makes it easier for tourist groups from China to obtain visas: applicants will not be required to attend an interview. Starting from July 1, 2016, the first tourist groups from China are expected to arrive," said the Commissioner for EXPO-2017.

In his turn, Akhmetzhan Yessimov, Chairman of the Board of National Company Astana EXPO-2017, reported that "the construction of facilities for EXPO-2017 is going according to schedule." "Over 10 thousand people are engaged in the process and 500 units of equipment are being used. The current construction rate allows the completion of works by November 2016. The official participants in the exhibition have already started sending in their themed concepts for decoration of the pavilions," he said.

Together with state authorities, the organizers of EXPO-2017 are working hard to ensure that tourists have a comfortable experience during their visit to the exhibition and their stay in Astana. Their efforts are focused on improving the transport infrastructure, building a network of restaurants and food courts, and actively promoting the event abroad. In addition, the organizers have already launched ticket sales and enlisted the cooperation of over a hundred tour operators both in Kazakhstan and abroad.

First retail outlets (including online stores) selling official EXPO-2017 merchandise are to appear early next year.

About EXPO-2017 in Astana  

The International Specialized Exhibition EXPO-2017 with the theme "Future Energy" is an expositional and recreational event that will take place between June 10 and September 10, 2017 in Astana. The exhibition will last 93 days and will be one of the most spectacular cultural venues in 2017. To date, 90 countries and 16 international organizations have confirmed that they will participate in the Astana EXPO-2017 exposition. 70 commissioners for national sections have been appointed. 53 agreements on participation have been signed. Overall, the event expects over 100 participating countries and over 5 million visits.

As part of EXPO-2017, global policy documents will be drafted in order to promote an energy-efficient lifestyle and wide use of renewable energy sources.

The subthemes of EXPO-2017 are: Reducing CO2 emissions. The environmental challenge: to protect our environment and promote trends that lead to environmental enhancement.

• Energy conservation. The economic challenge: promote energy efficiency and the rational use of energy.
• Energy for all. The social challenge: energy access as a basic human need and right.

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National company "Astana EXPO-2017"   

For more information, please contact:

Artem Storozhenko, Expo2017@m-p.ru

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SOURCE National company “Astana EXPO-2017”