Beijing horticultural expo to boost global business: Kyrgyz minister of agriculture

BISHKEK - The upcoming 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition will build a platform for international economic and cultural exchanges between different countries, a high level Kyrgyz official told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.

Nurbek Murashev, Kyrgyz minister of agriculture, said the expo, an industrial event of the highest level, is not only a gardening exhibition, but also "a platform for demonstration."

"Each country can create its own special open-air garden, show the image of the country, the best gardening art and special cultures," said the Kyrgyz official.

Murashev said the event will bring together the newest horticultural creative resources across the world, demonstrate the latest results of technological and cultural innovations, and comprehensively reflect the trends of global green innovations.

Slated to kick off on April 29, the 162-day expo will exhibit the latest achievements in floriculture and fruit and vegetable farming at the foot of the Great Wall in northwest Beijing's Yanqing district.

This is the second time for China to hold such a high-level horticulture expo. The southwestern Chinese city of Kunming held the expo in 1999.

According to Murashev, the expo is also a trading platform.

"All countries, through participation in the exhibition and business events, can demonstrate their brand images, promote the best products and technologies of gardening, get more opportunities for commercial cooperation and expand the market," he noted.

Murashev said attending such a large-scale international exhibition will help shape the image of Kyrgyzstan as a developing country with an ancient history and rich cultural heritage, beautiful and unique nature, green economy, which allows the production of ecologically clean and organic products.

As his ministry is responsible for the Kyrgyz exposition, it is important to show the visitors the best domestic goods that meet criteria such as cleanliness, environmental friendliness, high quality, and affordability, and promote their access to the largest and most promising market of China, Murashev said.

The Kyrgyz minister stressed that at the expo of such scale and intensity, they can study and use the experience of other countries to develop new technologies in Kyrgyzstan.

According to Murashev, the Kyrgyz pavilion will occupy an area of 1,050 square meters, including a 919.5-square-meter garden and a 130.5-square-meter building.

"The design of the National Pavilion reflects the national specifics, cultural identity and heritage of the Kyrgyz people, which organically fit into the concept of the pavilion and the theme of the international exhibition," he said.

Murashev also said that the building consists of two rooms built in the form of a Kyrgyz yurt.

"In the main room, which is a large yurt, exhibits from Kyrgyzstan will be presented as well as a multimedia component of the pavilion, which will show promotion videos about Kyrgyzstan, presentations of the economic, investment, tourism potential, and ads of domestic export-oriented products," he said.

The small yurt will be a living room where visitors can taste food products from Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyz cuisine.

The minister stressed that the entrance to the Kyrgyz pavilion are gates designed in the style inherent in the ancient cities of Kyrgyzstan on the great Silk Road.

"The route laid out in the pavilion from China, through Kyrgyzstan to Europe, should give a special historical charm to this ancient communication and convey the significance of the Belt and Road Initiative renewed today by China," the Kyrgyz official concluded.