Prime Minister at the closing of the Expo 2010 Shanghai, China
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Portuguese acronym RDTL), Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, made a three day visit (from 29 to 31 October 2010) to Shanghai, in the People’s Republic of China, to participate in the Expo 2010 Shanghai closing ceremony.
On the first day of the visit, the Head of the Executive visited the Timorese Pavilion, where he pointed out the success of Timor-Leste’s first participation in a world exposition, as a sovereign and independent nation. “According to the contacts that I have kept throughout the six months of the expo’s duration, I can state that this was a great success. Success in its organization, success in the choice of the theme, in the pavilions’ beauty and innovation, its cooperation services and synergies with several countries, particularly between the Chinese and Timorese authorities. I want to thank the support given by the Chinese government to Timor-Leste”, stated the Prime Minister, adding that “4,5 million visitors were registered in the timorese pavilion, a number that overcame all our expectations. This means that more than four million persons came to know a bit about our history and our culture and appreciate our beauty”.
Besides the Timor-Leste pavilion, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, accompanied by his entourage, visited pavilions from other countries: China, Angola, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and big companies: China Oil, Shanghai Cooperation, China Aviation and SAIC-GM, present at the Expo 2010 Shanghai.
The Head of Government defended that “Timor-Leste should learn more from China because China has capacity to develop its economy and its working method. Timor-Leste, as a recently independent country, should try to change mentalities and working methods, striving to get the desirable national development”.
Such visits, motivated by the spirit of cooperation that Timor-Leste looks to sustain for the benefit of the development of its basic infrastructures and economy, as a priority in the Strategic Development Plan (SDP), where the relevant socialization was done by the Prime Minister himself, throughout the seventy five sub-districts in Timor-Leste.
Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, participated, on the 31st of October, in the closing ceremony of the Expo 2010 Shanghai, presided by the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wen Jia Bao.
“Here we reunited during one hundred and eighty four days of exposition, registering unforgettable successes. Success which is owed to the participation of the 190 Countries and 56 international organizations, to the contribution of more than two thousand volunteers and, specially to the 73,08 million visitors” informed Wen Jia Bao.
At the close ceremony, the Organization Commission of the Expo 2010 Shanghai presented the Bureau of International Expositions – BIE flag to the Italian city of Milan, that will welcome the World Expo 2015.
To see more pictures about Timor-Leste in the 2010 Expo Shanghai, please click here.
