Promoting nature, sustainability

The tiny island of Dominica in the Caribbean is promoting itself as a virgin paradise, and as a country open to investments from all over the world, through its pavilion at Expo 2020.

Kenneth Darroux, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Diaspora Relations, toured the pavilion, which provides a glimpse of the island nation’s plans for development, including sustainable tourism.

Darroux said: “We have full diplomatic relations with the UAE, having set up an embassy in Abu Dhabi. We admire the achievements of the UAE in the past 50 years, and we believe we have a lot to learn from them. We’re inspired by the Expo subtheme of Sustainability, because for several years Dominica has been giving high importance to nature conservation. Our pristine unspoilt environment is perfect for eco-tourism.”

Denise Charles, Minister of Tourism, International Transport and Maritime Initiatives, said: “We want Expo visitors to know the real Dominica, with its 355 rivers, numerous waterfalls, pristine forests, wildlife and nature trails. We’re committed to sustainable tourism, and very soon we’ll have an eco-resort powered by solar and green energy. We also want to promote ourselves as an ambassador of global peace and unity - values we share with the UAE.”

The delegation highlighted several initiatives, including a new airport, currently under construction, that will facilitate direct flights to the island from all parts of the world. The country also has plans for producing geothermal energy.

Ian Douglas, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Business and Export Development, said: “The people of Dominica are a resilient lot, as proven by their ability to recover from devastating cyclones that hit the country from time to time. Expo is the right place to raise awareness about our people, as well as the investment opportunities available, including the Citizenship by Investment programme. Through our exposure at Expo 2020, we aim to reach out to new markets, including those in the Middle East and Asia.”

Belarus keen to enhance relations with UAE: Belarus and the UAE enjoy longstanding excellent bilateral relations that will help them further strengthen cooperation during Expo 2020 Dubai in areas such as trade, investment, tourism, and education, a top Belarusian official said. In an interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM), Aleksandr Guryanov, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, and Commissioner General of the Section of Belarus at Expo 2020 Dubai, spoke about his country’s participation in the exposition, which he believed, will bring the friendly and fruitful relations between the two countries to another level in all areas.

“Our national pavilion will serve as a tool to communicate the existing opportunities of cooperation between Belarus and the UAE,” Guryanov said, referring to a large-scale development project which Emaar Properties, a Dubai-based real estate developer, is currently developing in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, under the name of the Northern Waterfront smart city.

“Belarus has a great innovation potential. That is why we seek to attract investments from the UAE and other GCC countries to enable further economic development in our country. We are convinced that what we are going to show will be a great example for other UAE and international investors to follow,” Guryanov added.

Guryanov hailed Mira Singh, an 11-year-old model, dancer, pianist, beginner singer, artist and at the same time one of the most famous Belarusian girls in the UAE. In October 2021 after a challenging multi-stage competition, Mira became one of the key players of the Expo 2020 Dubai opening ceremony. “We are proud of our compatriots in Dubai,” he said.

Belarus Pavilion at Expo 2020 Belarus Pavilion is located in the ‘Opportunity District’ of Expo 2020 Dubai, covering a total area of 1,200 square metres.

It is run under the theme of ‘Forest of Future Technologies’ which aims to help visitors discover how nature and technology can help people grow together.

“The main motto of our participation in Expo 2020 Dubai is three I’s - Innovations. Investments. Individual. The idea is to show how smart investments may result in advanced technological development that eventually serves the purpose of making [human] life better,” Guryanov said, adding that Expo as a global event presents an opportunity for the participating countries to showcase their latest inventions and technologies, their most progressive achievements, as well as history, culture and traditions. Apart from educational and entertaining purposes, Expo is also an event designed to bring people together to enable them to find ways to face today’s challenges such as conflicts, climate change, poverty, etc., according to Guryanov.

“Bold yet well-thought and balanced undertakings such as Expo 2020 Dubai, organised under the current conditions, will help humanity unite efforts to find the shortest possible path to the normalcy, which in turn will stem in the long-awaited resumption of all types of international activities, especially trade and commerce,” Guryanov said.

He went on to say, the exhibition has come through the most severe times of the pandemic and yet has been able to overcome this challenge successfully and confirm the limitless capabilities of humanity.

“We are proud of the UAE to be the first country in the Mena region to pave the way for such an important event as Expo. Under the wise UAE guidance, we are convinced that the event will be successful and become another important and memorable milestone in the history of humanity,” Guryanov concluded.

WAM