The second meeting of participants for the International Specialised Exhibition Expo Belgrade 2027 (International Participants Meeting – IPM) was held in Belgrade today, attended by around 500 delegates from 137 countries around the world. A great occasion for many companies and entrepreneurs to open a firm in Serbia.
Among the delegates were representatives from leading global economies such as the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and China, as well as delegates from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Israel, together with key countries from the African continent – South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia.
Representatives of the United Nations and other major international organisations and development agencies will also visit Belgrade, Tanjug reports.
Over the course of three days in Belgrade, ministers, state secretaries, ambassadors and directors of national institutions responsible for the economy, trade, innovation, tourism, culture and sport will gather in one place.
Their task will be to work together with the organisers to define the next steps and participation plans of their countries for Expo 2027, an event that will transform Belgrade into a global platform for the meeting of ideas, cultures and innovations. The strong interest in Expo 2027 in Belgrade is also confirmed by the fact that Serbia is the absolute record holder for the number of registered countries for specialised exhibitions.
So far, 137 countries have registered for Expo 2027, significantly surpassing the previous record set by Astana 2017, which brought together 117 participating countries.
During their stay, foreign delegations will be presented with further development plans for the Expo complex, the programme concept of the exhibition, as well as the key logistical and organisational steps that will define the next phase of preparations. The specialised exhibition Expo 2027, themed “Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All”, will be held from 15 May to 15 August 2027 in Belgrade.
Gori: “Expo 2027 is an exceptional opportunity for the Italian economy, we are bringing athletes and musicians”
The Ambassador of Italy to Serbia, Luca Gori, stated today that the upcoming exhibition represents an exceptional opportunity for Italy and its economy, emphasising that the focus of their national pavilion will be on people, namely the opportunity for visitors to meet Italian athletes, musicians, researchers and students.
He pointed out that Italy’s presentation at Expo 2027 will be based on five principles.
“Our participation will, above all, represent teamwork. We will involve the Italian Cultural Institute, the Chamber of Commerce and financial institutions. We are ready to work with everyone,” Gori said while addressing the media.
The second principle, according to him, places people at the centre.
“We want our pavilion to be a pavilion where people are in focus. So it will not only be about seeing something, but also about meeting someone. We will bring important Italian representatives from sport and music, researchers, students and many others,” said Gori.
The third principle will make the pavilion inclusive, while the fourth principle will highlight the diversity of the country.
“As you know, we have a very diverse country, so we want to present the diversity of Italy. We will present not only Italy as a country, but also all its regions and territories,” said Gori, emphasising that a great deal of interest from those regions in participating in Expo 2027 has already been recorded.
Regarding the fifth principle, Gori emphasised that Italy’s goal is to create long-lasting partnerships and make use of the platform that Expo provides.
“We will encourage our cooperation with various stakeholders,” Gori stated.
The Ambassador of Italy emphasises that togetherness and music will be key elements of their presentation at Expo 2027, and that culture and the creative industry play a leading role in the Italian economy.
Košarac: “Expo is an opportunity for connecting with other countries”
The State Minister of External Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Staša Košarac, said today that Expo 2027 in Belgrade is an ideal opportunity for the country to present itself to the world in the best possible way and connect with other countries.
He pointed out that Expo represents a serious opportunity and platform for international presentation and cooperation for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska.
“The goal is to present our economy, culture and tourism potential. We also have gold-winning athletes. That is the strength that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska want to present,” he said.
Netek: “Austria will vote on the final Expo project in April”
We are halfway through the preparations for our participation in Expo 2027, and the jury will vote on the final project in mid-April, said the country’s representative at the IPM in Belgrade today, project manager Alf Netek.
“We are working with companies and architects to build an attractive presentation that will be based on relationships. Our programme in German could be called ‘Spiel Heim’, and it is a combination of a playground, a playroom, but also a game that encourages movement,” he said while presenting Austria’s participation at the specialised exhibition in Belgrade next year.
He added that the focus will be on innovation. On the one hand, innovations based on quality of life, but also a wide range of cultural activities. He emphasised that it is not only about innovation and neighbourhood relations, but also about the large diaspora of Serbian citizens living in Austria.
“Vienna is the fourth largest Serbian city in the world, so building relationships and showing neighbourly ties is a key part of everything,” Netek stressed. He added that Serbia and Austria have rich and highly developed relations in historical, cultural and economic terms. When it comes to the economy, he pointed out that more than 300 Austrian companies operate in Serbia and that Austria is the third largest investor in the country.
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Tunis Expo Commissioner: “The exhibition is an opportunity to strengthen friendship with Serbia”
Participation in Expo 2027 in Belgrade will be an opportunity for Tunisia to further strengthen its friendly ties with Serbia and present itself to the world, said the Commissioner of Tunisia for Expo 2027, Mourad Benhassen.
Speaking at the second meeting of Expo participants in Belgrade, he said that Serbia and Tunisia, as two friendly countries, have a long history of diplomatic relations and that the exhibition scheduled for next year will include many activities reflecting the friendly relationship between the two countries.
“Tunisia has chosen its theme for participation and we have a clear message, which is to play, innovate and connect – Tunisia in harmonious motion. Behind that message lies the idea that we would like Tunisia to come with the strength of its youth, the ingenuity of our start-up companies, and our ancient wealth in art and culture,” he emphasised.
Mr Benhassen added that Tunisia’s aim at Expo is to present concrete projects and build strategic partnerships in key sectors such as digitalisation, artificial intelligence, innovation in education, sport and the sports economy, as well as in the cultural and creative industries.
Mbadi: “Uganda sees Expo as an opportunity to strengthen integration into the global economy”
Uganda’s Minister of Trade, Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, said today that the country sees Expo 2027 in Belgrade as an opportunity to strengthen its integration into the global economy.
He made the statement during the presentation of countries at the second International Participants Meeting of the International Specialised Exhibition Expo Belgrade 2027 (IPM2), which is taking place over the next three days in Belgrade.
“Uganda values platforms like this as an opportunity to learn, network and connect with the global community. Uganda is coming to Expo with the aim of using this opportunity to strengthen our integration into the global economy through trade and investment, by presenting our national brand, strengthening global partnerships and cooperation at the international level. We are also looking forward to contributing to global solutions for shared challenges, particularly in line with the global agenda relating to the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Mbadi.
He added that Uganda will present itself at Expo, in line with the exhibition’s themes, through sport, education, music and innovation.
(Bizportal, 10.03.2026)