Vicente Loscertales, secretary-general of the Paris-based Bureau International des Exposition (BIE), said on Friday "the Shanghai Expo is being well prepared" during his second visit to the city this year.

He encourged the city to make its 2010 World Expo "an international event" by involving more participants and young locals.

On Thursday Loscertales met with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng.?He praised the city's ongoing global communications and promotion of the expo, calling it "a powerful and realistic plan".

A "Shanghai week" event was launched in Tokyo this week, its first step to promoting the event overseas.

He said the Shanghai Expo organizer had introduced new and creative elements in its preparations for the event, such as its online expo. Loscertales also approved the completed expo theme presentation plan, which is expected to be developed further in the next few months.

The expo organizer expected more countries and international organizations to confirm their participation in the event this year.

Its second participants' conference is planned for November. Loscertales said he wanted to cooperate with the organizers to promote the event and create special regulations to assist participants.

He said the BIE and the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination would conduct a global promotional tour of 12 to 14 cities over three years. And the expo theme development guide would also be provided to participants by the end of this year, with suggestions for working with its "Better city, better life" theme.

"Shanghai should make the World Expo a big international project, connecting the city itself, China and the international community," he said.

Loscertales particularly emphasized youth participation. A few days ago he wrote a letter to the principal of the Shanghai Jincai High School, which he visited five years ago. He invited students to get actively involved in the Shanghai Expo.

In the letter, he said the active involvement of young people in expos was essential, because: "They have a role alongside that of the government and market, and tremendous potential to influence the future."

Loscertales said the BIE planned to select young students from Shanghai and train them as volunteers in Zaragoza, Spain, where the 2008 World Expo will be held.

"So after they come back, they will gain more experience in volunteering work and make a contribution to the Shanghai Expo," he said.

(China Daily March 24, 2007)