Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Japan Association for the International Exposition announced on Saturday that four more countries have withdrawn from the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, local Japanese media reported. 

Iran, El Salvador, Botswana, and South Africa have been added to the list of countries that have withdrawn from the Expo, bringing the total to 12. 

Iran had initially planned to exhibit in a “Type A” pavilion, the largest option, which participating countries would build them themselves. In June, it decided to switch to a “Type X” pavilion, which the Expo organizers would build on Iran’s behalf. 

The change could have incurred costs for Iran for the construction that had already taken place on the Type A pavilion. An Association official said the pavilion planned for Iran will now be used for other purposes.

El Salvador and Botswana were planning to use a “Type B” pavilion, which would be built by the Association and rented to the respective country. 

In some good news for the organizers, the African island nation of Cape Verde announced it would participate in the Expo. Currently, 158 countries and regions and nine international organizations have confirmed they are participating.