What did the representatives of the Expo participating countries answer to Forbes Serbia’s question about the security of facilities

March, 2026

Link to the original article: https://forbes.n1info.rs/biznis/propisi/sta-su-predstavnici-zemalja-ucesnica-ekspa-odgovorili-na-pitanje-forbes-srbija-o-bezbednosti-objekata/

Photo: Forbes Serbia

Were we lost in translation, did they rely entirely on the host and the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE) or were they not the right people for that question, only the representatives of individual countries participating in the EXPO 2027 event had very diverse answers yesterday. And to one question Forbes Serbia – are they aware of the fact that the facilities where the Expo will be held could be used without a use permit and are they perhaps worried about the safety of their staff.

Mostly, these were the commissioners of their countries, that is, someone who is a high-ranking representative of the state for such an event. And someone who should at least be familiar with this issue. BIE General Secretary Dimitri Kerkentzes addressed the issue of the use permit in a recent interview with Forbes .

The answers of the representatives of the participants can say a lot or a little, depending on who reads them and how.

We asked the question in Serbian so that professionals could translate it as adequately as possible. To what extent the speakers understood them, we could not check for individual languages.

Cambodia: We are not too worried

“We did not go into detail about the regulations regarding the construction of our pavilion, but regardless, I spoke with our country manager about the regulations and the safety of our staff. So far, we are not too worried about the whole issue with the regulations. I am sure that all the procedures are implemented in accordance with what the organizer signed with the BIE,” said the representative of Cambodia.

He was the first to appear in front of the press in a series of short, twenty-minute press conferences where participating countries were introduced, and which were interested in introducing themselves.

Senegal: I’m not up to date with everything.

The commissioner of Senegal answered us that at the previous meeting of the participants, they visited the construction site in Surcin and saw that the construction had started and was proceeding according to the scheduled deadlines, and that, for example, in Osaka, everything was not going as well as here.

“As for the legal requirements and political issues, I am not up to date with all of that. We are grateful that you have allowed our delegation to be housed at the Expo and it will make things easier for us.”

Equatorial Guinea: We do not want to offend our brother

We received an unusual answer from the commissioner of Equatorial Guinea. Unlike the others who spoke in English or French, he gave his speech in Spanish.

“If a country accepts to do this, it does so because it already has the necessary things to organize it. There is also the BIE, which has its own rules. We respect all the regulations in Serbia. We did not come to have conflicts but to have good relations. We do not want to offend our brother. We did not come to provoke, but to get closer,” said the representative of Equatorial Guinea.

Saint Lucia: We believe that everything will be fine

From Africa, we briefly “switched” to the Caribbean with speeches by the representatives of the two countries there. The first was the commissioner of the island of Saint Lucia.

“I’m not sure that’s something I can give an opinion on at this stage. From what we’ve seen so far, we’ve seen a high level of readiness from the hosts and we believe that everything will be fine for our participation,” she answered shortly.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Have you organized a party or wedding?

And their southern “neighbor”, the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was represented by a lady. And the answer to our question began with her own question – “Have you organized a party or a wedding?”.

She explained that everything that is planned takes time. As if the entire process, from their arrival in Serbia until now, was perfectly organized.

“I don’t feel scared or think that this won’t happen,” said the representative of the Caribbean country, continuing to praise the host and what has been done so far. “I saw that they thought of everything, that they turned over every stone in terms of the sessions we participate in.”

France: The football team is not asked to build a stadium

Few European countries introduced themselves, and the only one we asked the same security question was France. They had experience in the accelerated construction of facilities for the Olympics in Paris.

“We are not involved in the construction work and we have no direct connection with the building rules. There is always something that can be discussed, but the BIE will deal with it. There can be local debates due to different points of view. This happened for the Olympics and the reconstruction of Notre Dame. There can always be criticism, but the football team will not answer the question about the permission to build the stadium. I will not answer that question. The responsibility is on other people, so let them answer,” said the French commissioner.

Burundi: Confidence in what is being done

Finally, the media could “return” to Africa. The representative of Burundi thanked the security issue.

“We have close cooperation with the Government of Serbia, especially through our country manager, and I think that all the phases that have been completed are good. We have confidence in what is being done and it is all a matter of the Serbian government. We are proud of the cooperation,” it was briefly explained.

On the second day of the second international meeting of the countries participating in the Expo, it was planned to present the Solomon Islands, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, St. Kitts and Nevis, Liberia and Slovakia to the media and the public. We did not wait for their answers because we judged that the previous ones were also sufficiently illustrative.

Music, food, sports, but also the economy

From the address of the representatives of the participants, it can be concluded that the goal of coming to the Expo will be not only the presentation of culture and sports, which are some of the key topics of the specialized exhibition, but also the opportunity to establish economic ties with other participants, as well as visitors. For example, Cambodia will show citizens of Serbia and foreign guests its 1,000-year-old rich culture, especially its food. Senegal will have a pavilion near the Serbian one. In addition to culture, they will present their technological innovations, agriculture and food products. Equatorial Guinea, for example, emphasizes music. The representative of St. Lucia left perhaps the best impression. She said it was the only country named after a woman. The country is known for its sprinters, but also for the most Nobel laureates per capita. They will also present innovations and the creative industry, as well as the main trump card – tourism. As she said, they won the award as the best honeymoon destination. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have the same trump card. They offer excellent conditions for yachting and fishing. They will also present their music and dances, which the citizens of Serbia have probably never seen. Small Caribbean countries will have a common pavilion. The focus of France will not be on food, but on their other achievements and ties with Serbia. In his enumeration, the commissioner of that country touched on historically good relations, as well as personalities such as Nikola Karabatić, Goran Bregović, Tesla and the Limijer brothers… That’s why he was asked by a journalist from Congo why Serbia is not a francophone country. Among other things, Burundi will present its agriculture, especially coffee.