Latvia becomes a member of the International Exhibitions Bureau

Latvia has joined the Convention on International Exhibitions and received approval to join the International Exhibitions Bureau (Bureau International des Expositions, better known as the organiser of the World EXPO exhibitions. Latvia and Lithuania will participate in EXPO 2025 Osaka with a joint Baltic Pavilion.

"With the participation in the International Exhibitions Bureau, Latvia will be able to fully participate in the EXPO exhibition planning, receive various benefits, as well as vote for the venue of the next exhibition. By participating in the previous EXPO in Dubai, we managed not only to raise the country's prestige and visibility in the Middle East region, but also to increase Latvian exports to the United Arab Emirates by 52% and to Saudi Arabia by 200%", says Raivis Bremšmits, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics.

Membership of the International Exhibitions Bureau will give Latvia the opportunity to receive a 15% discount on pavilion rental at Expo 2025 Osaka, as well as the opportunity to vote on operational issues during Expo 2025.

"Another important benefit of being part of this organisation will be the opportunity to vote for the host country of EXPO. This offers significant advantages in terms of building transnational relations, as well as direct influence in the decision to host an exhibition. No less important will be the benefit that we will be able to decide on various issues that could potentially affect Latvia's performance already during the Osaka exhibition," says Lāsma Līdaka, Director of EXPO Pavilion of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia.

The Ministry of Economics will be the responsible authority for Latvia's participation in the International Exhibitions Bureau.

Latvia's goal in participating in EXPO 2025 Osaka is to increase exports to Japan by at least EUR 50 million and to attract new investment from Japan in sectors of strategic importance to Latvia. The exhibition is also a huge platform for networking with other EXPO 2025 Osaka member countries. It is an opportunity to raise Latvia's international recognition, including in distant export markets.

The International Exhibitions Bureau is the intergovernmental organisation that has been overseeing and organising the world EXPO exhibitions since 1931. The aim is to educate the public, promote progress and foster international cooperation. The world EXPO exhibitions is a global event that brings together most of the world's countries. More than 160 countries are expected to participate in EXPO 2025 Osaka, with a total of 28 million visitors over 6 months.

Currently, there are 183 countries in the International Exhibitions Bureau and Latvia will become the 184th member.

Ministry of Economy
Public Relations Department
prese@em.gov.lv