Press releases

MILAN, 9 September (BelTA) – About 800,000 people have already visited the Belarusian pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 since 1 May, BelTA learned from Mikhail Rusy, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Belarus’ general commissioner at Expo Milano 2015.

Mikhail Rusy said: “About 800,000 people have already been to the Belarusian pavilion since it was opened. Some people come to learn something about our country, they are our potential tourists. Some people come with concrete business ideas. One can say that specific projects will be implemented as a result of the expo.”

The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that presenting a national pavilion of its own is a token of the country’s economic maturity and its integration into the community of the top players on the global food market. “The motto of Expo Milano 2015 is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. One can say that Belarus has been fed and we export $6 billion worth of food every year on top of that,” said the official.

Belarus’ national day took place at Expo Milano 2015 on 9 September. Crowds turned up to see the national pavilion as hundreds of tourists from Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America were trying to get inside. The visitors sampled national cuisine, asked about Belarusian souvenirs, and took photos of the wheel of life and the Belarus tractor at the pavilion’s entrance.

Musical performances were held nearby throughout the day. In the evening the expo center’s main stage will feature a Belarusian concert.

Expo Milano 2015 is scheduled to stay open from 1 May through 31 October. The participants include 145 countries. Major companies and non-governmental institutions also presented their expositions.

During the expo Belarus demonstrated the nation’s main treasures — bread, salt, and water. A road associated with the bed of a river crosses the Belarusian land plot. The flow of people follows the riverbed towards the wheel of a water mill. The wheel divides the pavilion into two parts. One part is sheltered and contains the exhibits that reflect Belarus’ national culture and its peculiarities. The other part is a restaurant offering Belarusian cuisine and a souvenir shop.