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More Czech Regions Joining Cooperation Project with EXPO

Prague - Mr. Vladimír Darjanin, the Czech Republic´s Commissioner-General, yesterday visited the Moravian-Silesian and Olomouc Regions in the eastern part of the country. He briefed Mr. Evžen Tošenovský, the Chief Executive of the Moravian-Silesian Region, and Mr. Jan Březina, the Olomouc Region’s Chief Executive, on the course of a project designed to present the individual Czech regions at the forthcoming World Exhibition EXPO in Japan to be held in 2005.

During the talks, the Commissioner-General Vladimír Darjanin, specified some of the technical parameters concerning regional presentations in Japan, and discussed the possibilities of financing those projects. He also informed both Moravian top executives on the process of establishing contacts with the individual Japanese prefectures.
Both Evžen Tošenovský and Jan Březina are, as Chief Executives of their respective regions, very open to the idea of establishing and promoting cooperation, their approach to the whole project is very forthcoming and active. For his part, Mr. Vladimír Darjanin, expects that after his visit to Japan next January both Moravian regions will know their specific partner prefectures in Japan. In actual fact, partner prefectures in the Czech Republic and Japan are identified and selected for future cooperation and twinning according to common traits shared by regions in both countries.

The Liberec Region in North Bohemia was one of the Czech Republic’s first regions to join the project of Czech regional presentations at the EXPO. That is why the Liberec Region - as the first in this country - has already been offered by the Commissioner-General a specific Japanese partner region, namely the Toyama prefecture. Both regions are known to share common traditions and involvement in glass-making.
During the scheduled visit to Japan to be paid by the Commissioner-General in November the Liberec Region will be introduced to the officials of the Toyama prefecture and a formal letter of introduction to its representatives will be presented by the Liberec Region’s Chief Executive Pavel Pavlík.

"Cooperation with the regions in the Czech Republic does not consist solely in their presentation at the World Exhibition EXPO itself. It also lies in other accompanying events and especially in long-term cooperation and partnership in many different branches," says Mr. Vladimír Darjanin.

Mobile Project To Present Regions of the Czech Republic at the World Exhibition EXPO 2005 Aichi

During the World Exhibition that will be held in Japan between March 25 and September 25, 2005, i.e. lasting 185 days or 24 weeks, a full 14 weeks will be devoted to Czech and Moravian Regions. The individual regions of the Czech Republic will be presented not only in the actual venue of the EXPO 2005 but also in the neighboring prefectures. This new concept of Czech participation, i.e. the use of mobile elements, will definitely pave the way for establishing enduring relations which will be of great importance, while bringing no small cultural, social and economic benefits for the partner regions as well as the entire Czech Republic. Assisted by the Czech government agencies in Japan, the Czech Commissioner-General Vladimír Darjanin, has already established contacts with the leading officials in 9 prefectures in the Central Honshu area during his regular previous visits to Japan. All the local officials expressed their interest in fostering cooperation whose dimensions are likely to transcend the framework of Czech participation in the EXPO 2005 Aichi. Meanwhile, here in the Czech Republic the Office of the Commissioner-General has opened negotiations with the individual regions at the level of their Chief Executives (Hetmans). They were gradually introduced to the project aimed at presenting the Czech regions at the World Exhibition EXPO 2005 Aichi, and to the possibility of promoting long-term cooperation with their partner prefectures in Japan.

For further information, please contact:

Martina Hončiková
Public Relations Manager
Rytířská 31
110 00 Praha 1,
tel.: +420 221 610 192
GSM: +420 731 187 675
fax: +420 221 610 237
e-mail: m.honcikova@expo2005.cz

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