Kazakhstan wins bid to hold 2017 International Expo

Kazakhstan's capital Astana won the bid to host the International Expo in 2017, Paris-based Bureau of International Exposition (BIE) said here on Thursday. Astana won 103 votes against 44 for Liege during a meeting of the BIE, making Kazakhstan the first central Asian country to ever host a specialized international expo. Under the motto of "Future Energy", the event will offer opportunities to exchange experiences in the filed of alternative energy facing challenges of energy shortage and environment crisis. The fair will be held from June 10 to September 10, 2017, and is expected to attract 5 million visitors from all over the world.