Arab News Japan

Russia announced its withdrawal from the 2025 Osaka Kansa Expo on Nov. 28 as it says its has been “treated unfairly.”

Due to rising diplomatic tensions following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a Russian official said it was regrettable that the country had to cancel its attendance to the event due to a lack of communication with organizers.

The announcement was made at a general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions held in Paris, when Saudi Arabia was announced as the next host country of Expo in 2030.

The Russian representative said they have faced unfair treatment from some of the participating countries, implying that Japan and its Western allies played a role in the decision to withdraw from the upcoming Expo.

Russia’s announcement came after Japan’s state minister in charge of the Expo, Hanako Jimi, said Russia’s participation at the event is “not expected,” if its ongoing situation with Ukraine does not change.

Russia is the third country to withdraw from Japan’s expo following Mexico and Estonia, which have recently announced their decisions to pull out due to “domestic financial issues.”