The meeting provided another opportunity to engage with Expo leaders and counterparts from other countries.
Himeji, January 16, 2025 – The final International Participants Meeting (IPM) 2025 kicked off on Wednesday, January 15, with a group photo of all attending delegates at the ARCREA Himeji Culture and Convention Center.
Alongside the in-depth sessions covering topics such as logistics, events, communication, and protocols that will shape the countries’ participation over the six months of Expo, General Commissioner Filippo Francini met with Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions, and Haneda Koji, Commissioner General of Expo 2025 Osaka. This meeting reaffirmed the strong relations that the Republic of San Marino maintains with both the International Organization overseeing World Expositions and the Japanese Expo organizers.
For Francini, the IPM was an opportunity to exchange views with several fellow Commissioners General from other participating countries, including Mario Vattani from Italy, followed by representatives from China, Slovakia, Slovenia, Australia, and Guinea.
In the afternoon, Commissioner Francini met with the Expo 2027 Belgrade team— the specialized exposition taking place between the Osaka and Riyadh 2030 editions— which Serbia will host from May 15 to August 15, 2027. The meeting, held in a very cordial and collaborative atmosphere, aimed to understand the participation conditions and assess the possibility of San Marino’s involvement.
The IPM proceedings continued on Thursday, January 16; in the afternoon, along with around fifteen other countries, San Marino participated in an exclusive event, the Pavilion Showcase Forum. This session, open to media, young students, and all attending delegates, was dedicated to presenting the concepts of national pavilions. It provided San Marino with a unique opportunity to offer updates and insights on its participation in the event.

