PARIS - Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen met Monday the French Minister for Economy Christine Lagarde in Paris to promote Izmir`s bid to host the EXPO 2015.
Tuzmen`s meeting with Lagarde lasted around one hour and the two ministers discussed commercial relations between Turkey and France.
Answering questions of journalists after his meeting with Lagarde, Tuzmen said that he requested Lagarde`s support to increase chances of Izmir to host the EXPO 2015.
The two ministers agreed to establish a joint economic consultation mechanism among the ministers of Turkey and France.
Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) will decide on March 31st which city (Izmir or Milan) will host EXPO 2015.
BIE members will listen the presentations about Milan and Izmir for the last time on Monday. After the presentations, the voting will start. The results are expected to be announced at 5:00 p.m.
BIE executives and the representatives of the city which will host EXPO 2015 will hold a joint press conference.
Italy`s Milan and Turkey`s Izmir cities have been lobbying for the last six months to receive support from 151 BIE members for their candidacies.
Izmir municipality delegation hosted a dinner for BIE members in Paris on Saturday. Turkish State Minister Mehmet Aydin, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and main opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) chairman Deniz Baykal also attended the dinner.
Izmir`s theme for EXPO 2015 is "Health For All". So far more than 40 countries formally declared that they would support Izmir.
(SOL-AÖ)