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Reem Al Hashimy attends celebrations of UAE's pavilion
posted on 16/06/2012: 1064 views
Yeosu - Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State and Member of the Higher Committee for hosting the World Expo 2020, attended yesterday the celebrations of UAE's pavilion participating in "Expo 2012 Yeosu" on the National Day of the country.
The celebrations were attended by Abdullah Khalfan Mattar Al Rumaithi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea, Abdullah Al Aidarous, Deputy Commissioner General of UAE Pavilion, Lee Joon-hee Commissioner General of Expo 2012 Yeosu in addition to media delegation and a number of Korean officials.
The celebrations began with UAE's flag hoisting ceremony in Expo's biggest Hall of "Expo Hall".
On the occasion Reem Al Hashimy, made the following speech.
"Your Excellencies, Honoured Guests, What a thrill it is for me to stand here today, celebrating the UAE's participation at EXPO 2012! There is so much to see and do at this incredible event that I will find it difficult to tear myself away. I wholeheartedly congratulate the organisers on their vision, expertise and tremendous effort to create an EXPO that makes a real difference, not just for the people of Yeosu, or the population of Korea, but for the whole world! We really needed something like this to make us all sit up and take more notice of what is happening on our coastlines, seas and oceans! The participants at this EXPO all have a story to tell and we are all affected by what happens in our marine sectors.
I was recently moved by the story of Misaki Murakami a 16 year-old schoolboy whose prized football was lost when his home was washed out to sea on March 11, 2011, following the earthquake that shook Japan. Misaki was lucky to escape to a nearby evacuation centre before the tsunami hit his hometown. But his ball was sucked out to sea and made a voyage of thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, washing up a year later on Alaska's Middleton Island where it was discovered by David Baxter, a technician at a local radar station. David and Misaki have now made contact with each other.
It was a stark reminder of how the sea connects us all? I welcome you to hear our own story of how the seas around the United Arab Emirates have been, and still are, pivotal to our existence. We would like to share some of our achievements within the marine sector across a wide range of fields.
So it is with a sense of great honour and excitement that I convey the greetings of our President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and our Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, together with all members of our government and people. We welcome you to our pavilion and look forward to reinforcing our connections across the seas and oceans of the world! Thank you"
For his part, Lee Joon-hee Commissioner General of Expo 2012 Yeosu stressed the importance of UAE's participation in the exhibition and its interaction with international efforts to protect World's seas and oceans.
He also hailed the efforts of UAE's wise leadership in the protection of the natural environment and the search for new sources of renewable energy.
He stressed that the UAE topped the world's countries which are concerned with the protection of the marine and lands environment, and develop sustainable solutions for the protection of seas and oceans in cooperation with the countries and peoples of the world.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Emirates News Agency, Reem Al Hashimy expressed her pleasure with UAE's participation in Yeosu Expo as an opportunity to express the distinguished relations between the UAE and South Korea in many fields.
She pointed out that the country's participation in the exhibition provides an opportunity to present our experience and learn about the experiences of others in the field of seas and oceans protection.
Al Hashimy expressed her happiness as thousands of people have visited the state's pavilion.
She also commended the role of the National Media Council in organizing and supervising the state's pavilion and thanked the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development" for assisting in the organization of the pavilion through sending "Takatuf Team".– Emirates News Agency, WAM
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