TOKYO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Pakistan have given up on plans to construct their own pavilions at the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japanese city of Osaka and will instead exhibit in pavilions prepared by the event's organizer, local media reported Tuesday.
According to the expo organizer, of the 51 participants planning to build their own pavilions, called Type A, 11 have still not secured contractors as of last Wednesday.
The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition is planning to request participants whose construction of Type A pavilions is running behind schedule to return the rented-out lots, Kyodo News reported, citing senior officials of the association.
The organizer wants to avoid a situation where empty lots or unfinished pavilions remain when the exposition opens in April 2025, ensuring sufficient time to repurpose these areas for other uses, the report said.
Meanwhile, the association estimates the construction of prefabricated pavilions for the event could cost an extra 7.7 billion yen (48.3 million U.S. dollars) as it prepares for some countries to possibly change the construction plans of their pavilions, according to Kyodo News.
The total cost for constructing the venue for the event is now expected to reach 235 billion yen (1.47 billion dollars) and will be split by the central government, the Osaka prefectural and city governments, and the business community, the report added.
As of June 18, over 160 countries and regions, as well as nine international organizations, had confirmed their participation in the expo, scheduled to run for six months from April 13 through Oct. 13 next year on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, according to Japan's foreign ministry. ■