Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić has stated that Belgrade hopes to confirm Ukraine’s participation in the specialised Expo 2027 exhibition, which is due to take place in the Serbian capital from 15 May to 15 August 2027, according to the Telegram channel ‘Serbian Economist’.
Đurić posted this on X following a meeting with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Serbia, Oleksandr Litvinenko. According to the Serbian Foreign Minister, the parties discussed further intensifying political dialogue, supporting bilateral political consultations and improving trade cooperation between the two countries.
He also thanked Ukraine for its principled stance on the issue of respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia.
“As Serbia and Ukraine traditionally enjoy very good relations, we hope to confirm Ukraine’s participation in the upcoming EXPO 2027 specialised exhibition,” the Serbian Foreign Minister emphasised.
For Belgrade, Ukraine’s potential participation in Expo 2027 has not only diplomatic but also economic significance. Serbia is seeking to use the exhibition as a tool for expanding trade, investment and logistics ties, as well as a platform for promoting the country as a regional hub for the Western Balkans.
For Ukraine, participation in Expo 2027 could provide an opportunity to present in Serbia not only a national pavilion but also a business programme focused on reconstruction, the agro-industrial sector, energy, IT, construction materials, logistics and industrial cooperation.
Expo 2027 Belgrade will be held under the theme “Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All”. It will be the first specialised Expo hosted by Serbia and the region of the former Yugoslavia. According to the Bureau International des Expositions, the Belgrade site is set to welcome over 130 countries, more than 6 million visitors and over 8,000 events during the 93-day programme.
According to the official Expo 2027 website, 137 countries have formally confirmed their participation to date. These include Japan, South Korea, China, Turkey, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Monaco, as well as a number of countries from Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. In March 2026, Belgrade also hosted the second international meeting of Expo 2027 participants, which, according to the Serbian government, was attended by representatives from 138 countries.
A distinctive feature of the Belgrade Expo is that it is intended to be not a general world exhibition, but a specialised Expo – that is, a more focused international event with a limited theme and duration. For Serbia, this is the largest image-building and infrastructure project of the decade: it involves the construction of a new exhibition complex in Surčin, the development of transport infrastructure, the hotel sector, the city’s economy and Belgrade’s international positioning.
As Serbian Economist reports, Belgrade’s preparations for EXPO 2027 are gaining momentum: the authorities and investors are actively modernizing the hotel infrastructure. The most notable project is the reconstruction of the Hotel Slavija, which has been authorized by the Serbian Ministry of Construction for a complete renovation.
The hotel, built 63 years ago and long considered a symbol of Belgrade hospitality, after the completion of the reconstruction at the end of 2026, will receive the category of “four stars” and will offer 465 rooms.
According to the hotel association HORES, there are now 120 hotels with about 8 thousand rooms in Belgrade, and by the exhibition they will be 20 more, adding about 2 thousand more accommodations. Private apartments will also play a significant role.
HORES Director Gjorge Genov stressed the need to organize shuttle transport between Belgrade and neighboring cities (Novi Sad, Šabac) in order to use additional accommodation reserves.
EXPO organizers said that more than 120 countries, including the world’s largest economies, have already confirmed their participation in Belgrade:
– China;
– Germany;
– France;
– Italy;
– Turkey.
The total number of participants is expected to exceed 130 countries.
EXPO 2027, which will last 93 days, will be the largest international event in the history of modern Serbia. For the hotel and tourism sector, it is a chance to reach new service standards and attract long-term investments.
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