Although there are five days left until the vote on who will host the World Exhibition (EXPO 2030), it is not yet known whether the Government Milojko Spajić possibly change the decision of the previous executive power and instead of the announced support for Riyadh - vote for Rome.
They were invited to do so by several Montenegrin political actors and NGOs, as well as the Italian ambassador in Podgorica Andrea Marcela, who recently said that Podgorica's support for Rome "should be natural".
The former Government, which he headed Dritan Abazovic, made a decision to support Riyadh at the beginning of September, and the final position of the country should be announced on November 28, at the session of the General Assembly of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE) in Paris, when the 182 members of that organization will declare who they will support as the organizer of the exhibition.
In the news, the Government, Prime Minister Spajić and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP) did not answer questions about whether they would consider calls for support for Rome, what support for Riyadh means for relations with Italy, and what a potential change of decision would mean for relations with Saudi Arabia.
Last week in Podgorica, Spajić met with a delegation from the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, led by the minister Ahmed Al Kateb. However, the Government did not say whether EXPO was discussed at that meeting.
Also, the Prime Minister met with Ambassador Marcela at the beginning of November, but EXPO was not mentioned in the press release from that meeting either.
Besides Riyadh and Rome, Busan (South Korea) is also in the race to host EXPO 2030.
Abazović, after his government supported Riyadh, said that it was in the interest of the state because, he claims, Saudi Arabia will help the University of Montenegro with a "multi-million sum". The Government announced in mid-September that Saudi Arabia approved a grant of three million US dollars to support the development of the education sector in Montenegro.
The former prime minister stated that Montenegro has nothing against Rome and Busan, adding that Italy hosted the exhibition twice and that Montenegro supported their candidacy in 2015 when the EXPO was held in Milan.
"I understand the stories 'EU, EU, EU', but let me just say that Riyadh was also supported by Greece, France, Bulgaria, Spain, the USA and 120 other countries," Abazović said then, claiming that Saudi Arabia "already won" and that "hardly anyone can match her" because she announced the investment of billions in the organization of EXPO 2030. However, neither on the website of the BIE nor on the websites of the candidates it is possible to see how many votes they have, that is, how many countries have promised them support.
Abazović then announced that he is a former minister of foreign affairs Ranko Krivokapic (dismissed in October last year) sent a note to Italy without the Government's approval that Montenegro would support Rome, which, he added, was neither correct nor transparent. However, the recent head of state Milo Djukanovic he claimed that the support was brought "after a series of meetings at the highest level and on the basis of the basic principle of Montenegrin foreign policy that has been respected since the restoration of independence".
DON'T MISS IT
The decision of Abazović's government was opposed by some of its members, such as the recent minister without portfolio Zoran Miljanić, who expressed his opinion, with the comment that the candidacy for the EXPO goes in the direction of "money can do everything".
Because of the decision to support Riyadh, NGOs also reacted, stating that the government in this way supports "the undemocratic regime of Saudi Arabia, which brutally and massively violates human rights."
Italian Ambassador Marcela announced after the former Government's decision that she was disappointed with it, bearing in mind that, as she said, Italy had received support from Montenegro through a verbal note.
She said a few days ago that support for Rome should be natural, "taking into account the European aspirations of Montenegro". She emphasized that the EXPO in Rome is an opportunity for Montenegro as well, because tourists visiting Italy would come to the country, as happened during the EXPO in Milan in 2015.
DON'T MISS IT
"Italy has also foreseen a plan of financial support in favor of 144 countries. In this context, Montenegro could use two million euros for participation in the event and the construction of the pavilion, in accordance with its ambitions and expectations... Italy and Montenegro are friendly countries connected by history, culture and unbreakable ancient ties. Those elements of the unity of our two countries cannot be ignored... Therefore, I hope that Montenegro will not decide to go against those aspirations", said the ambassador.
The invitation to support Rome was also sent by the Montenegrin head of state on several occasions Jakov Milatovic. He did it for the first time after the meeting with Marcelo, then during the official visit to Rome in September, and a few days ago... He assessed that Abazović's cabinet made a hasty decision.
"I understand the support for Riyadh, but Italy is a strategically important country for us, a country that is a friend, that protects Montenegrin skies, that is an ally within the NATO alliance and that in the coming period and after this meeting that I had with the president (of Italy Sergio Mattarello), to additionally support Montenegrin membership in the EU", said Milatović during his stay in Rome.
He also announced that the decision of Abazović's government is "not good enough" because Italy can help Montenegro.
He sent the last call to the Government to change its decision on Sunday, saying that, "with full respect to the other candidates", it is an opportunity for Montenegro to show its "European orientation" through actions.
How the EXPO host is decided
At the session of the BIE General Assembly, each candidate will give a final presentation of their project. The present member states of the organization, represented by delegates appointed by the governments, will then vote for the host country of EXPO 2030. Voting is secret and done electronically, and each state has (one) vote.
The rules stipulate that when there are more than two candidates, as is the case now, a state must receive a two-thirds majority to be elected in the first round. If no proposal receives that majority, the proposal that receives the fewest votes is eliminated.
This procedure continues until there are two candidates left. The host country will then be chosen by a simple majority. After a country is chosen as the host, it continues to cooperate with the BIE on the formalization of the EXPO project by submitting a registration file that must be approved by the BIE General Assembly.
Riyadh announced an investment of 7,8 billion dollars
According to the submitted documentation, Riyadh plans to invest 7,8 billion dollars in its exhibition, and the exhibition should be held from October 1, 2030 to March 31, 2031, under the name "Era of Change: Together for a Far-reaching Tomorrow".
"The themes reflect the aspiration to mobilize the global community towards an inclusive, rebooted world, in which science and technology are at the service of a better future for humanity...", the organizers said.
Italy is promoting a project called "People and Territories: Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation", and their plan is to hold the exhibition from May 1 to October 31, 2030.
"The goal is to provide sustainable solutions to identify new ways of living in our territories given the challenges we face today, which include every aspect from initiating the development of poor rural areas and improving urban living conditions in developing countries, to dealing with social inequalities, crime, water and waste management in richer countries...".
The central theme of Busan's candidacy is "Transforming our world, moving towards a better future", and the three sub-themes, as the organizers said, embody "the city's determination to overcome challenges and to serve as an example to people around the world".
"The first, sustainable life with nature, means overcoming the global crisis of climate change and striving for a sustainable life with nature. The second, technology for humanity, means solving various unwanted effects resulting from advanced technological development... The third, a platform for caring and sharing, contains solutions to various disparities between social classes and countries," the application reads.
They estimate that the total number of visitors to the exhibition will be 34,8 million, and it would take place from May 1 to October 31, 2030.
Moscow and Odessa were in the running for the EXPO, but they withdrew their bids.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
