Yeosu 2012, the next big international exhibition after Shanghai 2010, will be held 400km south of Seoul and run between May 12 and August 12 next year.

One hundred countries and eight international organisations are expected to take part in Yeosu under the theme "The living ocean and coast: diversity of resources and sustainable activities", which Seychelles' non-resident ambassador to Korea Philippe Le Gall said is of particular relevance to Seychelles.

The exhibition targets 8 million visitors, mainly from Korea, China and Japan, and will get large media attention round the world, exactly 10 years after the Johannesburg UN Summit.

A second international planning meeting for the exhibition took place in Seoul on April 5-7.

Seychelles, Sri Lanka and the Maldives were the only Indian Ocean Island States represented on that occasion and Seychelles, Kenya and Tanzania the only three countries representing the southern and eastern part of Africa.

Seychelles is also only the third African country having confirmed (since June 2009) that it is taking part in Yeosu.

The Seychelles pavilion will be located in the Indian Ocean cluster of the international pavilion and should cover 80 to 90 square metres. Two other clusters will focus on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Mr Le Gall, who is based at the Seychelles embassy in Beijing, China, attended the meeting and the site visit of Yeosu, in his capacity as commissioner for the Seychelles pavilion.

He was accompanied by Seychelles honorary consul general to Korea, Jeong, who is the deputy commissioner.

During his official visit to Korea in October 2010, President James Michel met the Yeosu 2012 chairman, Kang Dong-seok, and confirmed Seychelles' intention to play an active role in the organisation of such a timely and useful exhibition, especially for island states like Seychelles.

The sea occupies 71% of the earth's surface and it is home to more than 10 million species, which accounts for about 90% of all life on Earth. Also around 40% of the world's population lives in coastal areas, within 60km of the coastlines.

The Yeosu Expo will strive to urge for the sustainable and wise use of the oceans and search for a common solution to the challenges currently facing world, namely the depletion of marine resources and climate change.

Mr Le Gall said that the recent tragic events in Japan have stressed the importance of better coordinated global policies to address such issues.

Seychelles' pavilion will highlight the challenges the country is facing and its achievements, as well as its pro-active stance on the need for more international cooperation.

It will also showcase Seychelles' competitive advantages as an eco-friendly tourist destination.