Financial issues cited in the French decision to opt out of the World Fair competition.
The Committee charged with organising a possible world fair in Paris in 2025 said that their financial model was not viable and that they had not managed to get enough support from private investors.
France is already preparing to play host to the Rugby World Cup 2023 and the 2024 Olympics Games.
The French application had only officially been made in September 2017. With the withdrawal of France, the odds of the remaining countries go up.
Russia (Ekaterinbourg), Japan (Osaka)and Azerbaijan (Bakou) are still in the run. A final decision is to be made on 15 November 2018. The world exhibition will take place from 1 May to 31 October 2025.
