(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM Secretary-General His Excellency Edwin Carrington and Mr. Huang Jianzhi, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Shanghai World EXPO Coordination, yesterday signed the Financing Agreement between the Caribbean Community and the People’s Republic of China with respect to EXPO 2010 to be held in Shanghai, China.

The Agreement assists Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) along with the CARICOM Secretariat to participate in EXPO 2010.

The signing took place on Tuesday 28 April 2009 following the end of a two day meeting of the Community’s National Coordinators for EXPO 2010, Shanghai at the headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana. Secretary-General Carrington had signed the Leading Participation Agreement on behalf of the Community last November in Shanghai during an official visit to China.

The Chinese delegation used the opportunity of the meeting to provide a comprehensive update on work, already done and to be done, to prepare for the EXPO. During their presentation it was revealed that to date 196 contracts have been signed and it appeared likely that the organisers will exceed the projected 200 participants. The EXPO will run from 1 May 2010 to 31 October 2010.

The CARICOM Member States and the CARICOM Secretariat will be accommodated in a Joint Pavilion, which will be called The CARICOM Joint Pavilion, and which is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2009.

EXPO 2010, Shanghai will be held under the theme Better City, Better Life. The five sub themes are; blending of diverse cultures in the city; economic prosperity in the city; innovation of science and technology in the city; remodeling of communities in the city and rural-urban interaction. Participants are required to reflect some aspect of the theme or sub themes in their exhibitions.