The Ukrainian delegation at the beginning of September this year filed a to the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE) in Paris, a registration dossier, which is one of the stages of preparation for participation in the selection of the country for holding the World Exhibition EXPO-2030, which is planned in Odesa. At the end of November, the candidate countries will present their projects at the 171st General Assembly of the BIE, and already in November 2023, the 170 member states of the International Bureau will choose by secret ballot to the host country of EXPO-2030.
About the importance of EXPO-2030 for Ukraine, the world experience and the state of affairs in preparation for the event by the Ukrainian team, we talked with the head of the Department of International Economic Relations of ONU named after I.I. Mechnikov, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor Serhiy Yakubovsky.
POTENTIAL OF ODESSA FOR EXPO-2030
In general, the idea of holding EXPO-2030 in Ukraine is quite good, because we are sure that the war will end with our victory, and the country will have a chance not only to be revived, but also to become a completely different state, and this can only be done in the conditions of attracting large volumes to the country foreign investments. And holding such events as EKPO show that the country is interested in foreign capital.
Odesa, which is proposed as a venue for the World Cup in 2030, is very suitable both in terms of location and potential. On the one hand, Odessans are mentally close to Europe, on the other hand, the region has high logistical potential, including sea transportation. Due to the blockade of sea ports in Ukraine, a partial reorientation of Ukrainian exports from sea transport to land transport took place. As a result, trade with the EU increased. But this is a temporary and forced measure, since the countries of Asia and Africa, which imported large volumes of Ukrainian agricultural and metallurgical products before the war, will remain a priority for the development of Ukraine's foreign economic relations in the future. And when the war ends, Odesa will regain its position in sea transportation, and a significant part of foreign investments may come from the countries of Southeast Asia, in particular China, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore, for which Odesa will become a kind of window to Europe. Besides, Odesa has always been a tolerant city mentally, in which people of different races and nationalities could easily find a common language.
HOW UKRAINE IS PREPARING
Despite formal declarations, Ukraine is still de facto preparing neither for joining the EU nor for organizing EXPO-2030. Yes, the application has been submitted, but now in Ukraine there is such a system of public administration, under which the necessary changes are not taking place that would bring the country closer to the EU or allow to prepare for the organization of EXPO-2030.
At the same time, if in matters of defense and security, thanks to the courage of the Armed Forces and the effective integration of the experience of the United States and Great Britain into the defense structures of Ukraine, success is obvious, but no progress is observed in the field of economic reforms. In Ukraine, the old authoritarian system of public administration remains, in which the selection of personnel is mostly carried out subjectively and often unprofessionally.
When solving the complex economic tasks of wartime, it is volunteers and entrepreneurs, not state structures, who show flexibility and ingenuity, quickly delivering the necessary goods to the country, as, for example, happened during the shortage of petroleum products in April-May 2022.
This situation is due to the fact that the same people who were engaged in populist and financial and spending projects, such as "Great Construction", remained in the state administration system. And these are not the management personnel that will be able to stimulate the full integration of Ukraine into the economy of the European Union, a new perspective, approach and motivation are needed here.
Our country has the example of General Zaluzhnyi, who communicates "in the same language" with the military ministers of Western countries and the leadership of NATO. In the economy of Ukraine, we also need the same "generals" - people who will be able to communicate professionally with the prime ministers, businessmen and financiers of the USA and European countries, to implement similar systems of tax regulation, financial incentives and customs control. Ukraine needs to adopt not only the principles of EU legislation, but also the mechanisms of its real implementation.
Regarding the technical preparation of the infrastructure for EXPO-2030, in my opinion, everything can be built and properly prepared in two or three years, the main thing in this is the desire of the country's leadership, appropriate investments and people with new views - to build a public administration system of the new European Ukraine .
