Peru has broken ground on its country pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. The pavilion, themed ‘Timeless, Always Peru’, is to feature a ‘unique architectural design that evokes the path that the nation has travelled throughout its existence telling stories of 10,000 years’, according to senior officials.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Edgar Vásquez, the minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru, Luis Torres, the executive president of the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Export and Tourism (PROMPERÚ), Alvaro Silva Santisteban, director of the Trade and Tourism of Peru in the UAE, and deputy commissioner general of Peru for Expo 2020.
“Expo 2020 Dubai is a great opportunity to showcase to the world what we are, whom we are and what we are made of. From our marvelous attractions to our award-winning gastronomy; our cultural and natural diversity to our ancestral knowledge and intangible heritage. It is a great opportunity to showcase our talent, hospitality, creativity, uniqueness, diversity, as well as the tremendous array of opportunities and vast possibilities to be fostered commercially,” said Vásquez.
He added, “We are, and will always be, a country that transcends time. Even after many centuries, we continue to surprise the world: Inca constructions still astonish visitors through their innovative building techniques that have endured the passage of time. We have learnt from our ancestors to work as a community, looking to the future while keeping our past alive.”
According to a statement, the pavilion will reproduce the last Inca bridge, Q’eswachaka, and will symbolise the connection between the past, present and future of Peru.
“This bridge -which is woven annually by communities in Cusco- represents the path that Peru has travelled throughout its history, nourished by multiple influences and events that have given us the identity that today fills us with pride. It also represents the path we are traveling, one that will take us to the future as a country. A country with an infinite wealth, great export products and beautiful tourist attractions for the world to see. This path is based on the sustainability of our biodiversity, our history and our cultural diversity, and shows our contribution towards the construction of a better future for humanity,” Vásquez explained.
Peru’s participation at the Expo 2020 Dubai aims to attract tourism, boost exports and generate investment, the statement said.