Days before the opening of FAO’s 30th Regional Conference for Europe here, Turkey inaugurated its ambitious new Expo on the theme of “Greening the Future.” The high-level inaugural ceremony last Friday was attended by Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia.
Expo 2016 in Antalya, which falls under the auspices of the Bureau of International Expositions and the International Association of Horticultural Producers, will focus on “Flowers and Children” and four sub-themes: history, biodiversity, sustainability and green cities. More than 50 countries are participating.
The Expo Antalya site will be open for locals and foreign visitors for the next six months, showcasing different thematic gardens across various continents including Turkey’s first agricultural and biodiversity museum.
“Today,” said Rakhmanin, “I am grateful to be here, and to reflect on the remarkable effort behind the creation of this site, which among other things demonstrates Turkey’s rich biodiversity. I am also looking forward for welcoming delegates from FAO member countries, who will have a chance to visit the Expo during next week’s regional conference.”
Following the opening speeches, Rakhmanin and other high-level officials visited the exhibition and the Expo booth entitled “I am Protecting my Future” – built especially for children to learn about the natural environment through models showing soil erosion, soil structure and the water cycle and by conducting experiments. It is part of a wider project aimed at social responsibility on soil and water, operated by Turkey’s Ministries of Agriculture and Education, with technical support from FAO and the Soil Science Society of Turkey. To mark the importance of this initiative targeting children and future generations, a the booth was visited by the President of the Republic of Turkey, the First Lady of Turkey, the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and other ministerial delegations together with FAO’s regional representative Rakhmanin.