By Wang Guanqun

    BEIJING, Nov.13 (Xinhuanet) -- At the seventh Shanghai World Expo International Forum opened Thursday, representatives from the participating countries expected much from the 184-day world feast next year.

    Some of them sought opportunities for further cooperation and development through the Expo.

Jon Trausti Saemundsson (L), Project Manager of Iceland Emassy, speaks during an interview with Xinhuanet at the 7th Shanghai Expo International Forum held in Beijing, Nov. 12, 2009.(Xinhuanet/Chen lu) Photo Gallery>>>

    Jon Trausti Saemundsson, Icelandic Embassy Project Manager, told Xinhuanet that the Shanghai Expo will be a great opportunity for both China and Iceland to learn from each other.

    "I hope there is going to be a lot of business opportunities for both sides," he added.

    Arild Blixrud, Commissioner General of Norway for Expo 2010, agreed by saying, "We want to invite Chinese people to visit Norway; we want Chinese come and invest in Norway."

    For other representitaives at the forum, the Expo will be a chance to find solutions to some of the world's problems.

Maurice Strong, former UN Under Secretary General and first executive director of the UN Environment Programme,talks during an interview at the 7th Shanghai Expo International Forum held in Beijing, Nov. 12, 2009.(Xinhuanet/Chen lu) Photo Gallery>>>

    Maurice Strong, former UN under Secretary General and first executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said the Expo park "will become a great place to demonstrate the latest technologies that we need to adopt for climate change."

    "I think the Expo will give a tremendous boost to the prospect for a better climate," he added.

Ziyad Tariq Alhiyali (L), Third Secretary of Embassy of the Republic of Iraq, talks with Xinhuanet correspondent at the 7th Shanghai Expo International Forum held in Beijing, Nov. 12, 2009.(Xinhuanet/Chen lu) Photo Gallery>>>

    Also others saw the Expo as dialogues between different cultures and civilizations.

    "Most countries of the world are participating in the Expo. It is a kind of interaction of civilizations. Just like Iraq -- we have Babylon, we have ancient places. So we can show them all in the Expo 2010," Ziyad Tariq Alhiyali, representative from the Iraqi embassy said.

Ruslan Khozouz (L), diplomat of Jordan Embassy, speaks during an interview with Xinhuanet correspondent at the 7th Shanghai Expo International Forum held in Beijing, Nov. 12, 2009. (Xinhuanet/Chen lu) Photo Gallery>>>

    Representative from the Jordan Embassy Ruslan Khozouz believed the Shanghai Expo is a great platform for communication where diverse cultures clash. He said the Expo will open to the world a splendid window to understanding more about the Chinese and the Oriental civilizations.

    The forum was co-hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Government and Bureau of International Expositions, under the theme "Shaping Urban Future with Global Wisdom."

    More than 300 representatives and Expo officials and organizers took part in the forum. 

    (Xinhuanet correspondents Hui Meng, Liu Li also contributed to the story.)

Special Report:  Expo 2010 Shanghai China