EXPO exhibitions are among the most prestigious events organised on an international scale.

In line with the EXPO main theme – “Future Energy” – we are building the concept of Polish presence at Astana EXPO 2017 around the motto: “Creative people, smart energy”. Thus we will present Poland as a country active on the international arena, a modern one with huge potential of hardworking and well-educated people, a country which is an example of spectacular success of economic and political transformation, a country where new and innovative technologies and solutions are implemented, and people respect their tradition and history. The contents presented during EXPO will be tailored to the interests of the audience – the citizens of Kazakhstan who will make up 85% of visitors. We are going to present our achievements and technological solutions in the areas of clean coal technology and afforestation – topics that are of special importance in the context of development of the energy sector in Kazakhstan.

For us the coming EXPO, which for the first time is taking place in Central Asia, is particularly important. For the first time in the history of Polish participation in EXPO, Polish entrepreneurs interested in promoting their products and services at EXPO will have an opportunity finance their participation from the European funds. The financial support will allow entrepreneurs to, i.a., participate in trade fairs, economic missions, organise studio visits, and produce information and promotion materials. What is more, Astana EXPO 2017 takes place just before the selection of organiser of the next international exhibition in 2022, and Poland is one of the candidates; we want to use EXPO 2017 to get support for our candidacy.

We are going to present Poland, both in economic and image-related terms, as an important partner in the international debate on global energy security and environmental protection, and also as an economic and political leader of the Central-Eastern Europe. Thus the presence of Poland on the International Exhibition in Astana should contribute to the promotion of Poland’s reputation and image; it should also strengthen economic connections between Poland and Kazakhstan and the entire region of Central Asia, and enhance the promotion of Poland’s candidacy to organise EXPO in 2022 in Łódź; it should also foster the engagement of Polish diaspora in Kazakhstan in Poland’s participation in Astana EXPO 2017. This is particularly important in the context of the on-going debate on supporting the Poles in the East.