OSAKA: Officials from around 150 countries and regions planning to participate in the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka began a two-day meeting in the western Japan city on Tuesday as the organizer of the event seeks progress on delayed pavilion construction.

Speaking at the meeting, Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary-general of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions, stressed the need for participants to focus on preparations for the Expo with a sense of responsibility.

Mexico and several other countries initially planning to take part in the Expo through Type A self-built pavilions have expressed their intention to withdraw from the event, citing financing difficulties.

While 60 countries had initially planned to build Type A pavilions, only 24 have concluded contracts with construction companies to build such pavilions.

The Expo organizer, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, has asked construction companies to build 25 Type X pavilions, which are simpler structures built by the Japanese side. The association plans to encourage countries struggling to build pavilions on their own to switch to Type X.

Two countries, including Slovenia, have said that they plan to switch to Type C, a shared pavilion built by the Japanese side, from Type A.

JIJI Press