2016-11-24 10:17 update: 2018-09-27, 01:14
Paryż, Francja, 23.11.2016. Wicepremier, minister kultury i dziedzictwa narodowego Piotr Gliński prezentuje kandydaturę Łodzi do organizacji wystawy tematycznej EXPO 2022, w trakcie 160. sesji Zgromadzenia Ogólnego Międzynarodowego Biura Wystaw w Paryżu, 23 bm. (zuz) Fot. PAP/Grzegorz Michałowski
The central Polish city of Lodz on Wednesday became an official candidate to host an International Expo exhibition in 2022.
Poland's deputy PM, Culture Minister Piotr Glinski formally submitted the city's bid in Paris at a session of the World Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), which oversees such exhibitions.
The International Expo 2022 exhibition in Lodz would focus on urban renewal and be a point of pride for the nation as a whole, according to Glinski.
He said the event would be held "in the heart of a living city" and be part of its day-to-day functioning. Any new infrastructure specifically built for the exhibition would serve the local residents, their region and the country as a whole, Glinski also said.
This would be the first ever Expo exhibition hosted by Poland, testifying to the nation's reputation abroad, Glinski said.
Lodz stands "a very good chance" of getting to host the event, according to Glinski, especially as it has no competitors for the time being, with the deadline for bids expiring Dec. 15.
Those making the case for Lodz in Paris also included the city's deputy mayor Wojciech Rosicki and Poland's deputy Development Minister Tadeusz Koscinski. This last official noted that Lodz is located in the very centre of Poland and offers excellent road, rail and air connections for visitors.
The 2022 Lodz Expo could attract up to 8 million visitors, according to officials.
The vote on whether Lodz will be picked to host International Expo 2022 will be held at the end of next year.
Polish officials began promoting Lodz's bid in June when they first announced that the city would be seeking to host the event.
The term Expo is generally used to denote two types of international exhibitions. Every five years, the main event known as the World Expo is held. Between the World Expos, specialised events called International Expos are organised. These last up to three months and focus on one specific topic. (PAP)
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