Luxembourg confirms participation in Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai today announced Luxembourg as one of the first countries to formally confirm its participation. The agreement was made at a meeting with His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee and Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airline during a visit by Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr. Etienne Schneider. This followed meetings on Sunday at the Expo 2020 Dubai site with Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau.
This confirmation signifies the latest milestone in the longstanding relationship between Luxembourg and the UAE, and is the product of considerable discussion and engagement between the Expo 2020 and Luxembourg teams on participation.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed welcomed Luxembourg. “Dubai is a place of connections – a point where the world meets. I warmly welcome Luxembourg which today has become the latest nation to formally commit to take part. It now joins us in creating this global platform for collaboration. I look forward to strengthening our bilateral relations, as we work together on our preparations to host Expo 2020.”
Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr. Etienne Schneider, said: “I am deeply impressed by the remarkable progress achieved on the exciting journey towards Expo 2020 Dubai. Luxembourg is fully committed to contributing its humble part to making this remarkable event a resounding success.”
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Director General, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, said: “We warmly welcome the appointment of Her Excellency Maggy Nagel, the former Minister of Culture and Housing, as the Commissioner General of Luxembourg to the Expo. The UAE looks forward to working closely with all stakeholders in Luxembourg on our journey to 2020 and to building a programme of engagement that will not only strengthen our bilateral relations but also, will serve as a platform for Luxembourg to promote its national priorities to a global audience.”
Her Excellency Al Hashimy added that “To date, we have received 70 national commitments from countries from all around the world and we look forward to welcoming more participants in the coming months ahead. We are very excited about the positive receptivity that our Expo has had and we will continue to work diligently to secure not only a confirmed presence, but also a high quality exposition.”
In addition to economic and diplomatic ties, the partnership is a reflection of Luxembourg’s commitment towards ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,’ the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai. Luxembourg’s national priorities closely align with the theme, as it is committed to being an open, and dynamic country that seeks to foster and support international cooperation, much like the UAE.
Luxembourg’s main themes for participation will be centered on generating economic growth in a manner which is sustainable and respectful, both on earth and in space. Luxembourg’s strong history in telecommunications and satellite operations reflects Expo 2020 Dubai’s sub-theme of ‘Mobility’, which will examine the creation of smarter and more productive connections, physically and virtually.
Luxembourg and the UAE enjoy strong bilateral relations and a number of memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements have been entered into between both countries in the areas of space exploration, financial services and non-oil trade.
