Off the wire
• 2nd LD Writethru: Chinese economy not to suffer hard landing: premier  • 1st LD Writethru: U.S. stocks end mildly higher ahead of ECB meeting  • Portuguese sensation Silva makes permanent move to Monaco  • Fake asylum-seekers from Albania to be denied EU entry for three years  • 1st LD Writethru: U.S. dollar mixed before ECB meeting  • Chicago agricultural commodities closed mixed  • Urgent: China pledges active, constructive role in solving Ukraine crisis  • Algerian PM says shale gas drilling will not start before 2022  • Hosts Equatorial Guinea draw second game in 2015 Africa Cup  • FC Anji Makhachkala Coach Sassi praises level of 2015 Africa Cup  
You are here: 　 Home

Belgium looks for podium of top 5 during Expo Milan 2015

Xinhua, January 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Belgium looks for the podium of the top 5 pavilions during the Expo Milan 2015, said Wednesday the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Trade, Kris Peeters, 100 days before the beginning of the exhibition in Milan.

At a press conference in his office, he announced that Belgium had a budget of some 13 million euros (about 15 million U.S. dollars) to prepare the Belgian pavilion at the Expo Milan, which is dedicated to the theme "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life".

The Belgian pavilion which has the sunny space as well as the "black" cave shows gradually today's Belgian firm and tomorrow's agriculture, new alternative production technologies such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and culture of insect that consumes 60 times less energy than conventional farming in protein production, explained architect Patrick Genard, co-author of the building design and scenography, to Xinhua.

Belgium also uses durable and easily recyclable materials "Made in Belgium" on the pavilion, in order to show its strengths in the biotech and cleantech innovation.

Belgium is noted for having organized 12 times the Exhibition in four of its cities. At the Expo Shanghai, the Belgian pavilion was elected by visitors one of the top 10 pavilions.

According to Peeters, Belgium has one of the most open economies in the world. The Expo Milan will be a good opportunity to "promote exports, businesses and tourism."

With a total export volume of 353 billion euros in 2013, the kingdom is the 12th largest trading nation in the world. It also ranks 5th in the European Union for attracting foreign investment. Endit