Switzerland, which was the first nation to confirm its participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai, announced on Sunday that it would participate in the 2021 edition of the World Expo in Dubai.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) said in a press statement that the council has instructed Presence Switzerland unit in FDFA to continue preparations for the Swiss Pavilion at the expo site in Dubai with a new budgetary framework.

The Executive Committee of the Bureau International des Expositions had requested at its meeting on 21 April 2020 that member states postpone Expo for a year in view of the disruptions caused by COVID-19. The proposal is expected to be adopted before the end of May 2020. 

Manuel Salchi, Commissioner General of the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai said in the statement that with the confirmation, Switzerland has joined the consensus in favour of the postponement in solidarity with the organiser and all participants.

The statement said that while the postponement would entail additional costs for Switzerland, the Federal Council views, “such large-scale events as an opportunity to position Switzerland and promote its economy, particularly during the post-COVID-19 phase.”

“The council has therefore approved the additional related costs,” the statement concluded.

The Swiss pavilion, titled Reflections, has been designed by Zurich-based architect OOS, in collaboration with Bellprat Partner and Lorenz Eugster.

(Writing by Anoop Menon, editing by Seban Scaria)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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