Argentina withdraws from the 2025 Japan World Expo

Argentina has decided to withdraw its participation in the 2025 Osaka Universal Exhibition, it is the third country to do so among those that were going to build their own pavilions. reported Kyodo News.

Hanako Jimi, Japanese minister in charge of the world event, did not reveal the reason for the withdrawal at a press conference, but the country has long been mired in extremely high inflation, which led President Javier Milei to cut public spending after taking office. in December.

So far, Mexico and Estonia have decided to withdraw from participating in the exhibition, which will be held from April 13 to October 13 next year on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

The two countries had planned to build the so-called Type A pavilion, in which participating nations design and build their own facilities. The self-built pavilions are considered a key attraction of the event.

The Japan Association for the 2025 World Expo had advised Argentina to opt for less expensive options, such as pavilion Type C, which will be built by the organizer and shared among participants.

Milei will visit China and meet with Xi Jinping

Another option was the Type

The number of countries planning to build Type A pavilions has been reduced to about 50, from an initial 60, due to the rising cost of materials and labor shortages in Japan’s construction sector.

The exhibition has been overshadowed by criticism of inflated costs and concerns about the slow pace of pavilion construction by foreign participants.

Also on Friday, scandal-plagued Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. announced that it had decided to withdraw from sponsorship of the Osaka Health Pavilion, at which the prefecture and city of Osaka, along with universities and industries, will host exhibitions to showcase technologies. cutting-edge medical and health care.

Due to health problems that have arisen after taking its “beni-koji” red yeast rice dietary supplements, in some cases resulting in death, the company has stated that it will focus on recalling its products and determine the cause of the problem.