Media Releases

Basel has maintained a successful city partnership with Shanghai since 2007. This five-year anniversary is being marked in Basel this autumn with two special events: firstly, on 30 September Münsterplatz will once again be transformed into a Chinese public park as part of Basel’s 2012 Mid-Autumn Festival. Secondly, an exhibition held in the UBS Service Hall until 5 October will inform visitors about the objectives and achievements of the city partnership.

On 30 September 2012 Münsterplatz will again be transformed into a traditional Chinese public park. The festival presents an opportunity to get to know Chinese culture better, and creates a venue for encounters between the Basel population and the local Chinese community. The official partner of the Basel Mid-Autumn Festival 2012 is UBS. The event is also being financially supported by the Swisslos Fund Basel-Stadt; it is being organised by the China-Basel Association (www.china-basel.ch).

Between 3 p.m. and around 8 p.m. visitors to the Basel Mid-Autumn Festival on Münsterplatz will be able to enjoy a varied programme. For example, Taiji and Qigong can be practiced on the minster terrace and beneath the chestnut trees (for early risers from 7 a.m.). They can also learn Chinese, make lanterns, practice Chinese calligraphy and much more. Members of the local Chinese community and people with an interest in China will also be presenting a varied stage programme of Chinese music, folklore, poems and dance.

At 5 p.m. there will be official addresses by the Chinese Ambassador WU Ken and the President of the Government of Basel Stadt Guy Morin, together with a traditional lunar cake ceremony. Following this, a professional troupe of dancers and singers from the Chinese Province of Yunnan will perform. The performance is a gift by the Chinese Embassy to the City of Basel.

5th anniversary Basel-Shanghai

Together with the Mid-Autumn Festival, Basel is also celebrating the fifth anniversary of its successful city partnership with the Chinese city of Shanghai. This has resulted in numerous co-operations in the fields of education and science, top medicine, culture, business and sustainability. In addition, an exhibition is being staged until 5 October 2012 in the UBS Service Hall. This examines the objectives and achievements of the city partnership between Basel and Shanghai which has existed since 2007. The exhibition is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance is free.

Contact

Sabine Horvath, Head of External Affairs and Marketing Basel-Stadt
Phone: 079 623 30 14
e-mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

The City Partnership (twinning) between Basel and Shanghai celebrates its 5^thanniversary this year. From the 27^th August to the 5^th October 2012, the exhibition «5^th Anniversary of the Basel-Shanghai City Partnership» in the UBS Customer Lobby (Kundenhalle) at the Bankverein will provide information about the goals, projects and successes of this city partnership.

From 27^th August to the 5^th October 2012, an exhibition in the UBS Customer Lobby will provide information about the City Partnership between Basel and Shanghai, which has now been in existence for five years. The following topics are presented on eight fabric banners: five years of Basel-Shanghai (introduction and overview), education, cutting-edge medicine, culture, the economy, sustainability, the Basel Moon Festival and ChinaWorldBasel. The exhibition describes concrete projects that have arisen from the collaboration, and shows the many ways in which the City Partnership can be experienced in the educational, cultural and economic areas of Basel. The population of Basel and the Chinese community should be able to take part in this partnership – and this exhibition shows the possibilities that exist for this.

Accompanying programme for the exhibition

Between 2:00 und 4:00 p.m. every Wednesday afternoon, the China-Basel Association is organising an intercultural programme with a changing range of offers, such as calligraphy, Chinese for beginners, making lanterns and much more. Details can be found in the UBS Customer Lobby from the start of the exhibition, as well as on the ChinaWorldBasel Facebook platform.

Prospering City Partnership

Despite the striking difference in size, there are considerable similarities between Basel and the Chinese world metropolis of Shanghai: Both are vibrant business locations for knowledge and research-intensive industries, both are cultural cities of international significance. Common interests and synergies arise from these similarities, which can be made use of in a targeted manner and can be constantly expanded thanks to the innovatively conceived City Partnership. Both partner cities have realised numerous specific cooperation projects in the areas of education, health care, culture and business in the first five years.

Contact information

Department of Presidential Affairs of the Canton of Basel-Stadt

External Affairs and Marketing

Sabine Horvath, Head of External Affairs and Marketing

Phone: 061 267 40 87 / 079 623 30 14

E-Mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

Web

www.shanghai.basel.ch

www.facebook.com/chinaworldbasel.

Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Hans-Peter Wessels, member of the Government of Basel-Stadt, will sign the official agreement that seals the partnership between Basel and Miami Beach. The signing ceremony will take place just before the 10^th anniversary of the Art Basel Miami Beach.

Basel and Miami Beach have shared close ties for a decade already. These ties will be formalised in the form of a city partnership agreement today, Monday November 28 2011, which will be signed at a ceremony at Miami Beach City Hall. The foundation of the agreement was laid during Art 42 Basel in June, when President Guy Morin and Matti Herrera Bower signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Basel City Hall.

It is no coincidence that the signing takes place just before Art Basel Miami Beach kicks off this year to celebrate its 10^th anniversary. The regular exchanges between the two cultural capitals go back to the first Art Basel Miami Beach in the year 2002. Since then, the two cities have continually intensified their relationship. For Basel-Stadt, today’s signing of the official partnership treaty is also a confirmation of MCH Group’s commitment to Miami Beach as a business location.

The cities’ extensive common interests in the cultural field are at the heart of the partnership arrangement. Furthermore, strategic cooperation will also be promoted in the economic, trade, education and research fields. The city partnership model represents a platform for lively exchanges between all actors interested in these areas.

Extension of the global network

Basel is already twinned with the State of Massachusetts and the city of Shanghai, China. Building on mutual strengths, city partnerships represent an integral part of the activities performed by the Department of Presidential Affairs that have both a direct and an indirect impact on the positive development of the cities involved. Similar to Basel, the southern US city of Miami Beach is also the site of numerous cultural events, ranging from exhibitions of classic collections and modern art to ballet performances and concerts.  

The Art Basel Miami Beach show is one of the most prominent art events in the United States. With its additional thriving clusters in the fields or tourism, business development and education, Miami Beach is an inspiring partner city and a welcome addition to Basel’s global network. Miami Beach has entered into over ten of such partnerships, with Basel being the only partner city in the central European region.

For further information, please contact

Basel, CH

Sabine Horvath

Leiterin Aussenbeziehungen und Standortmarketing Basel-Stadt

Phone +41 (0)61 267 40 87

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

E-mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

Miami Beach, Fl:  

Veronika Pozmentier

Miami Beach Sister City International Goodwill Ambassador

City Liaison for Basel Switzerland

Phone: +1 786 499-3591

E-mail: vkapoz@gmail.com

Internet

http://www.basel.ch/en/index.htm      

http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/

On the 12^th September 2011, the Münsterplatz will be transformed into a Chinese People’s Garden for the first time. Musical and dance performances from China and a wide range of hands-on activities for young and old await the public at the Mondfest Basel 2011.
The festival begins at 4.30 p.m., and admission is free.

It is well known that Basel and Shanghai have cultivated an intensive city-twinning partnership since 2007 that follows economic and scientific interests. A further aspect is the inter-cultural exchange. On the 12^th September 2011, the Münsterplatz will be transformed into a Chinese People’s Garden for the Mondfest Basel 2011. A varied programme for young and old will provide the guests with an insight into Chinese culture and its traditions.

In addition to the invited guests, all other interested parties will be very welcome to attend the official launch in the Museum of the Cultures at 5 p.m., together with WU Ken, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Switzerland, and Dr. Guy Morin, President of the Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. After the launch event, the participants can view the Museum of the Cultures, which is celebrating its reopening from the 7^th to the 12^th September 2011, and visit the Peking Opera and Chinatown exhibitions. A traditional Lion Dance will take place at the entrance to the museum at 6 p.m.

A stage programme full of variety

A stage programme full of variety awaits the visitors on the Münsterplatz from 6.15 p.m. to 7 p.m. XIN Liu, the European correspondent of the international Chinese TV broadcaster CCTV, will act as host during the show. A further highlight of the programme is a traditional Moon Cake ceremony for the audience. Three catering operations serving Chinese food and drink will be on hand to provide refreshments at the Moon Festival.

At 7:30 p.m., the courtyard of the Museum of the Cultures will be converted into a theatre. Five Chinese women living in Switzerland will tell their very personal stories and thereby ensure an entertaining theatrical evening, in which cultural differences and prejudices will be presented in an amusing way. Those who would like to take an active part can also find what they are looking for at the Moon Festival: Qigong for early risers, a trial Chinese lesson or a tea ceremony are just a few examples from the wide range of offers. For children the programme includes building Chinese lanterns, calligraphy, Chinese acrobatics and dragon boat paddling.

For more information:

Sabine Horvath
Head of External Affairs and Marketing
Department of Presidential Affairs of the Canton of Basel-Stadt
Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14
E-Mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

Further information about the special weekly programme of the Museum of the Cultures: www.mkb.ch

In September, Basel-Stadt will present itself in the burgeoning metropolis of Moscow as an innovative location under the motto "Basel. City of Vision". The goal is to intensify and build up cooperations with partners in Moscow in the fields of business, health care, education and research, tourism and culture. The signing of a statement of intent for the years 2011 and 2012 will formalise the partnership relations.

At the invitation of the Swiss Embassy, the Canton of Basel-Stadt will be presenting itself in Moscow as an innovative economic, educational and research location, as well as an attractive cultural metropolis and tourist destination, from the 31^st August to the 10^th September 2011. The Basel presence in Moscow will be continued into 2012.

"The Basel presence should intensify the existing, friendly relationship with the burgeoning metropolis of Moscow", explains the President of the Government of Basel-Stadt, Guy Morin. The goal is to foster and initiate cooperation with partner organisations in Moscow in the areas of politics, economy, healthcare, education and research, tourism and culture.

Meetings at the highest political level

During the Basel presence in Moscow, meetings at the highest political level are planned in the Moscow City Hall and in the Moscow Duma. The partnership relationship between Basel and Moscow will be formalised with the signing of a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) for the years 2011 and 2012. The Canton of Basel-Stadt will be officially represented in Moscow by the President of the Government, Guy Morin, Vice-President of the Government Carlo Conti, State Councillor Eva Herzog, President of the Parliament Markus Lehmann, State Chancellor Barbara Schüpbach-Guggenbühl and Sabine Horvath, Head of External Affairs and Marketing for Basel-Stadt.

Under the motto of "Basel. City of Vision", the accompanying communication campaign will underline the innovative power of the location of Basel. "Russia hat set the economic modernisation of the country as one of its major priorities, and this is therefore a good time for Basel to institutionalise a knowledge and know-how transfer with Moscow", explains Sabine Horvath, Head of External Affairs and Marketing for Basel-Stadt.  

A very varied programme

Under the leadership of the External Affairs and Marketing department of the Department of Presidential Affairs for Basel-Stadt, numerous Basel partner organisations realised a varied programme in Moscow, which created an appropriate framework for intensifying relations between Basel and Moscow. Among others, BaselArea, Basel Tourism, the MCH Group, the University of Basel, the University Hospital of Basel, the Basel Hoteliers Association and various cultural institutions were involved. Basel’s presence in Moscow was financially supported by the Swiss Pro Helvetia cultural foundation and by the Finanzplatz Basel foundation.

The entire Basel delegation and selected Russian guests are invited to the Basel Gala reception on the evening of the 8^th September. A specialist workshop of Swiss Tourism and Basel Tourism, working together with the Basel hotels St. Gotthard and Les Trois Rois, also takes place on the 8th September, which will be attended by around 150 tour operators from the Moscow area.

On the 9^th September, the economic promotion organisation BaselArea, together with the MCH Group, the University of Basel, Buss Immobilien & Service AG, Wenger Plattner Rechtsanwälte and Infrapark Basel-Land, will be presenting their visions of the Basel economic location and will discuss possible cooperations and partnerships with their Russian guests.

The Basel presence in Moscow will be accompanied by a varied cultural programme. The Basel Top Secret Drum Corps will thereby take part in the international military music festival "Spasskaya Tower" on Red Square (32.8 – 4.9.2011) on the occasion of their 20^th anniversary. The Swiss author Alain Claude Sulzer will read from his award-winning novel "Ein perfekter Kellner", while "the bird's eye soundship" and the Music Academy of Basel will carry out public concerts.

Contact person

Sabine Horvath, Head of External Affairs and Marketing for Basel-Stadt

E-Mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

In conjunction with the city partnership between Basel and Shanghai, the traditional Chinese Lunar Festival is being celebrated in Basel. On 12 September 2011, Münsterplatz will be transformed into a Chinese public park. Visitors to the Basel Lunar Festival 2011 can look forward to a variety of musical and dance performances from China.  

As is well known, Basel and Shanghai entered into a close city partnership in the year 2007. This pursues economic as well as scientific interests. A further aspect is the promotion of intercultural exchanges. On 12 September 2011 Münsterplatz will be transformed into a Chinese public park for the Basel Lunar Festival 2011. In addition to culinary specialities, visitors may look forward to musical and dance performances from China. Visitors will also have the opportunity to actively encounter traditions from the Middle Empire by engaging in Tai Chi, playing Chinese instruments or realising calligraphy on asphalt or paper.

The programme also includes addresses by Guy Morin, President of the Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, by WU Ken, Swiss Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, and by Anna Schmid, Director of the Museum of Cultures. The traditional cutting of the moon cake is another essential aspect of the Lunar Festival.

Exchange with Chinese in Basel

The Basel Lunar Festival 2011 is being organised by the Department of Presidential Affairs of the Canton of Basel-Stadt in cooperation with Basel’s Museum of Cultures. By celebrating the Chinese Lunar Festival, the Canton of Basel-Stadt wishes to present the variety and cultural wealth of its city partner Shanghai, while at the same time promoting exchanges with the Chinese living in the Basel region. The Chinese population living in Basel contribute towards Basel’s advancement as a place of knowledge and research, making an important contribution towards its economic prosperity and cultural variety, and transporting Basel’s positive image out into the world. The Lunar Festival is a tangible manifestation of the city partnership with Shanghai, which has been in existence since 2007, and the many links between Basel and China.

Asian tradition comes to Basel

The Lunar or Mid Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie) is the most important traditional festival in China, after the Spring Festival. It is also celebrated in Vietnam, on the Philippines, in Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia in various different forms. It falls on the 15^th day of the eight month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The autumn full moon shines particularly brightly and impressively at this time, and simultaneously symbolises the strength of the family.

In 2010 the Department of Presidential Affairs invited representatives of the Chinese community, that is to say Chinese living in Basel as well as businesspersons and Basel citizens with an interest in China, to celebrate the traditional Lunar Festival. On the first occasion, the festival was celebrated within the framework of a reception held at Basel’s City Hall. The event was universally warmly received, and for this reason the decision was taken to celebrate the Lunar Festival in Basel once again this year. In short, a new tradition has been established. All interested persons are warmly invited to Basel’s Lunar Festival 2011. Entrance is free.

Further information:

Sabine Horvath, Head of External Affairs and Marketing, Department of Presidential Affairs of the Canton of Basel-Stadt
Tel. +41 (0)61 267 40 87
Mobile +41 (0)79 623 30 14

The Basel Lunar Festival 2011 programme can be downloaded here.

Further information about the Museum of Culture’s special programme week: www.mkb.ch

Today, Wednesday 15 June 2011, officials will formalise the long-standing cooperative links between Basel and Miami Beach as Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Guy Morin, President of the Basel government, sign a memorandum of understanding at the city hall of Basel. The conclusion of the city partnership agreement at the end of November will kick off the Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Florida.

Several years of close links between the cities of Basel and Miami Beach will be formalised in the form of a city partnership agreement today, Wednesday 15 June 2011, when a memorandum of understanding will be signed at the traditional reception of an official delegation from the island city in Florida (USA). The ceremony, which will take place in the town hall of Basel, will be attended by Mayor Matti Herrera Bower of Miami Beach and the president of the Basel government as well as other political representatives.

With regular exchanges between the two cultural capitals going back to the first Art Basel Miami Beach in the year 2002, it is no coincidence that the signing will take place on the opening day of the world‘s premier art show, Art 42 Basel. The so-called memorandum of understanding represents a letter of intent pertaining to the city partnership that will be formalised on 28 November of this year on the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of the Art Basel Miami Beach show.

The cities’ extensive common interests in the cultural field are at the heart of the partnership arrangement. Furthermore, cooperation will also be promoted in the economic, trade, education and research fields. The city partnership model represents a platform for lively exchanges between all actors interested in these areas.

Extension of the global network

Basel is already twinned with the State of Massachusetts and the city of Shanghai, China. Building on mutual strengths, city partnerships represent an integral part of the activities performed by the Department of Presidential Affairs that have both a direct and an indirect impact on the positive development of the cities involved. Similar to Basel, the southern US city of Miami Beach is also the site of numerous cultural events, ranging from exhibitions of classic collections and modern art to ballet performances and concerts.  

The Art Basel Miami Beach show is one of the most prominent art events in the United States. With its additional thriving clusters in the fields or tourism, business development and education, Miami Beach is an inspiring partner city and a welcome addition to Basel’s global network. Miami Beach has entered into over ten of such partnerships, with Basel being the only partner city in the central European region.

For further information, please contact

Basel, CH
Sabine Horvath
Leiterin Aussenbeziehungen und Standortmarketing Basel-Stadt
Phone +41 (0)61 267 40 87
Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14
E-mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

Miami Beach, Fl:  
Veronika Pozmentier
Miami Beach Sister City International Goodwill Ambassador
City Liaison for Basel Switzerland
Phone: +1 786 499-3591
E-mail: vkapoz@gmail.com

Links:

http://www.basel.ch/en/index.htm
http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/

Pavilion reflects upon defining elements of Expo participation

Following the official closing of the Expo on October 31^st, the Swiss Cities Joint Pavilion of Basel, Geneva, and Zurich officially capped off its successful participation in the Expo.

The tri-cities Pavilion, featuring unique Swiss water management practices, attracted the attention of over 2 million Expo visitors, making it one of the most well-attended Puxi Expo pavilions. Guests to the pavilion were not only treated to natural Swiss water, but also a wide array of resonant and memorable Swiss socio-cultural elements such as lifestyle, industry, academia, art, architecture, design and more.

“Throughout the course of the Expo,” commented pavilion manager Howe Yin Zhao, “our Pavilion successfully incorporated important foundational elements of Swiss culture and society into well-attended, interactive and engaging events. Beyond successfully delivering the core message of our pavilion, that is, improving urban living through adopting innovative approaches to water management, our pavilion bridged Swiss and Chinese societies and people, connecting each to the broader global backdrop of the Expo”.

Visitors at the Swiss Cities Joint Pavilion were able to enjoy a diverse aspects of the three cities, including timepieces from Geneva’s Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (Fine Watchmaking Foundation), interactive art exhibits from Swiss artist Ted Scapa, symposiums held by notable Basel and Chinese universities and architects, performances from the Basel Symphonic Orchestra, as well as Zürich’s sustainability days forum held with representatives from Chinese cities, to name a few. Longstanding city partnerships between Basel, Geneva, Zürich, and their Chinese metropolitan peers were both highlighted and deepened throughout the course of the Expo, and were also accented by political delegation visits from the three cities’ Mayors Manuel Tornare, Corine Mauch, Guy Morin, Swiss President Doris Leuthard, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, and Expo Bureau Organizing Committee Vice Director Zhou Hanmin.

With full Expo operations now officially closed, the accumulated fabric of international culture and cooperation woven together by this truly international event becomes increasingly evident. The excitement, exchanges, and experiences have created a lasting imprint upon all of those involved. The Swiss Cities Joint Pavilion, for its part, is proud of its contributions to an event that is sure to be remembered as one of the most iconic international events in history.

Media Contact in Basel

Sabine Horvath, Head of External Affairs and Marketing, Canton of Basel-Stadt

Tel: +41 (0)61 267 46 64, Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

A festival to mark the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is being held this Wednesday evening in Basel’s City Hall. This event will launch a variety of activities in the Canton of Basel-Stadt (Switzerland) which are designed to improve links and raise the profile of the Chinese community in Basel. The aim is to use the potential of these qualified professionals to develop the city and the partnership with Shanghai. Guests include Ken Wu, the new Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland.

Now that the partnership between the Swiss city of Basel and the Chinese metropolis Shanghai has been successfully established, the next step will be to see this widened and increasingly deepened in Basel itself. Inter alia, more will be made of the potential presented by the local Chinese community for the development of the Basel region and the city partnership with Shanghai under the heading of “ChinaWorldBasel”. A variety of activities are planned in this conjunction over the next few months. These are designed to improve links and raise the profile of approximately 1,000 Chinese citizens in the Basel region, the majority of whom are highly-qualified professionals.

This evening’s event to mark the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in Basel’s City Hall, which will be attended by around 200 representatives of the Chinese community in Basel and Switzerland, represents the start of efforts to build further bridges between Switzerland and China. It is also designed to make the partnership with Shanghai more tangible in Basel. Ken Wu, the new Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Switzerland, will taking part in this event. On the same day he will also be welcomed on an official visit by a delegation of the Executive Council of Basel-Stadt.

“ChinaWorldBasel”

Numerous distinguished personalities will be taking part in this event, which will also feature traditional Chinese dance and music. The Vice President of Basel’s Executive Council Carlo Conti and Sabine Horvath, Head of External Relations and City Marketing of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, will provide the assembled guests with further information about “ChinaWorldBasel” and will underscore how important the Chinese community is for Basel as a place to do business. For example, their creativity and business know-how, their dynamism and adaptability can be used for Basel’s own development in the sense of a “learning from China” process.

“ChinaWorldBasel” also aims to stimulate discussion within the population about the importance of the Chinese community in Basel. Numerous cultural events such as the Culturescapes China Festival or the trilogy of Chinese exhibitions planned for 2011 in the Museum of Cultures are all integral parts of this endeavour.

Further information

Further information about the Basel-Shanghai city partnership is available under www.basel.ch.

Contact for media

Sabine Horvath

Head of External Relations and City Marketing, Canton of Basel-Stadt

Tel.: +41 (0)61 267 40 87

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

e-mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

The Swiss City Joint Pavilion’s Swiss Day event at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai – a momentous celebration featuring diverse and colorful elements of Swiss culture – today was marked by the visitation of Swiss President Doris Leuthard. In Shanghai to support the contributions made to the World Expo on behalf of Switzerland, President Leuthard attended the August 11^th kickoff concert featuring the Basel Symphony Orchestra, as well as August 12^th celebrations featuring other notable Swiss dignitaries, musical water performances, as well as an exhibition by renowned Swiss artist Ted Scapa.

Commenting on Basel, Geneva, and Zürich’s participation in the Expo, Leuthard noted, “The Swiss City Joint Pavilion, an enchanting and resonant representation of Switzerland’s vision of urbanity, provides Expo visitors a meaningful interface linking clean water initiatives to the overarching Expo theme – Better City, Better Life” Leuthard continued, “As underlined by the theme of this pavilion – Better Water, Best Urban Life – clean water is an implicit element in quality standards of living, worldwide.”

Resonant opening

Swiss Day’s official opening was marked with the August 11^th performance of the Basel Symphony Orchestra at Shanghai’s Oriental Arts Center, and combined a fine cornucopia of Swiss cultural exhibitions, including performances from Swiss drum corps, dancers, and famed Swiss artist Ted Scapa. Managing Director Franziskus Theurillat, whose orchestra features famous Shanghai violinist Huang Mengla,  will additionally tour Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Zhengzhou and Beijing to celebrate Switzerland’s 60 year anniversary of diplomatic relations with China..Commented Theurillat, “Building upon our memorable performance last night at the Oriental Arts Center, we’re thrilled to see such a wide range of visitors enjoying this momentous event. We look forward to similar levels of interaction through what will be our orchestra’s second tour of China”. The orchestra, featuring renowned conductor Mario Venzago, will play a diverse repertoire of works spanning famous composers Honegger, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, and more.
The event was concluded with pavilion tours featuring filmic documentation of Basel, Geneva, and Zürich’s sustainable water management operations projected upon the pavilion’s 360 degree video screen, under which visitors shared their experiences with fresh water.

Preview

Following the Swiss Day event, the Swiss City Joint Pavilion plans to feature additional major events throughout the course of the Expo.
Geneva Days, to be held between September 4th and 15th will exhibit the success of Lake Geneva restoration projects in terms of water governance, architecture, energy£¬and quality of life. Cross cultural symposiums between Geneva and Chinese partners will emphasize the relationship between the two countries. A historical fine watch exhibition will highlight the Geneva Days from September 9th to 15th.
The pavilion’s closing ceremony, to be held during the closing stages of the Expo, will bring pavilion events to a dramatic crescendo. It will incorporate highlights of the opening ceremony, and both Cities and Swiss Day, into a large-scale event synthesizing footage from these events, water narratives, Ted Scappa’s artwork, and more, into one large exhibition to cap off Expo closing celebrations.

Further information

For more information on the Pavilion content, pictures of the Swiss Cities Day or details on the future events, please visit www.basel-geneva-zurich.org.
For more information on the China Tour of Basel Symphony Orchestra, please visit http://www.wupromotion.com/en/international-artists/orchestra-a-choir/15-basel-symphony-orchestra-switzerland.

Contact

Sabine Horvath

Head External Affairs and Marketing, Basel-Stadt

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

E-Mail: sabine.horvath@b

Today, Councillor Hans-Peter Wessels and Shanghai’s Vice Mayor Shen Jun signed a „Memorandum of Understanding“ laying out the cooperation between Basel and Shanghai from 2011 to 2013. The two cities, both important centres of research and life sciences, intend to continue their successful partnership of the past two and a half years. The „City Partnership Day“ during World Expo Shanghai is highlighted by a speech by Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation, and a concert by the Basel Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonieorchester Basel).

An impressive official delegation from Switzerland attend the grand finale of the „City Partnership Day“: Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation, Hans-Peter Wessels, Councillor of Basel-Stadt, Annemarie von Bidder, President of the Parliament of Basel-Stadt, Blaise Godet, Swiss Ambassador in China, and several other diplomats and politicians will be present to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland. With their presence, they also show their support of the partnership between Basel and Shanghai.

Complex Partnership

Basel and Shanghai have discovered their shared interests. They combine their strengths in a city partnership that is steadily growing. Both are well-established centres of research and life sciences of tremendous economic power and with a rich cultural life. Consequently, the two cities focus their shared activities on these fields. Sustainable development is a further issue of particular interest – the city pavilion that Basel shares with Zurich and Geneva at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai is a case in point.

Mutually Beneficial Partnership

The „Memorandum of Understanding“ signed today outlines the cooperation from 2011 to 2013. A number of projects are continued, and and new activities are taken up:

• Basel’s know-how about sustainable development is secured through intense knowledge transfer.

• The University Hospital Basel and the Medical Faculty of Basel University intend to expand their cooperation with Jiao Tong and Tongji Universities, by organizing summer schools for students.

• The Junior Manager Exchange Programme is continued, and the cooperation between the Economics Department at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and the Shanghai Economic Management College will receive even greater support.

• In the medium term, direct flights between Shanghai and Basel are indispensible for an intense exchange and cooperation.

• Basel and Shanghai explore the possibilities of a kind of library of Chinese and Shanghai literature.

Tour Highlight of the Basel Symphony Orchestra

On the evening of this memorable day, the eve of the „Swiss Day“ at World Expo, Hans-Peter Wessels and Doris Leuthard invite an official delegation to the concert of the Basel Symphony Orchestra, featuring Chinese violinist Mengla Huang. At the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre, the young top-level orchestra will perform a programme full of innuendo, directed by Mario Venzago: „Pacific 231“ composed by Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, and Robert Schumann’s „Rheinische Sinfonie“. A group of drummers and pipers will bring a touch of Basel carnival tradition to Shanghai.


Further information:

Check www.basel.ch and www.basel-geneva-zurich.org for more information on the city partnership between Basel and Shanghai.


Contact

Sabine Horvath

Head External Affairs and Location Marketing, Basel-Stadt

Available for information in Shanghai:

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

E-Mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

The Department of Presidential Affairs of the Canton of Basel-Stadt draws a positive interim balance from its presence at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. At the end of July, the one-million visitor mark was passed. After Basel Week in May, Basel-Shanghai Days in August also offer a varied program and a suitable framework for intensifying Basel’s successful city partnership with Shanghai.

The first weeks at the World Expo were remarkably successful according to information from Sabine Horvath, head of External Affairs and Marketing, Canton Basel-Stadt: “After a rather low number of visitors in the first weeks, we now have an average 100,000 guests per week at the Basel, Geneva, and Zurich Cities Pavilion. One week ago, we already passed the 1 million visitors mark,” said Horvath. Basel also has had an exceptionally positive experience in its collaboration with Geneva and Zurich without which it would have been practically impossible to be present at this, the largest World Expo to date. All three cities can well imagine working together abroad if an opportunity should arise again.

The World Expo in Shanghai offers Basel a unique opportunity to further strengthen its successful city partnership with Shanghai which has been in existence since 2007, explained Horvath. A wide variety of cooperation projects in the fields of energy, the environment, commerce, health and healthcare, education, and science were already launched or intensified as part of a variety of special days during Basel Week (May 20-28).

Basel-Shanghai Days are just around the corner

The enlargement of the city partnership with Shanghai is also a central theme of the coming Basel-Shanghai Days (August 8-11). The symbolic highpoint is the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding for 2011-2013 on August 11 by Shanghai’s Vice-Mayor SHEN Jun and Hans-Peter Wessels from the Basel government.

In the evening of August 11, the Basel Symphony Orchestra gives a concert as part of its China Tour at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center to mark the official beginning of Swiss Day (August 12). Besides Switzerland’s President Doris Leuthard, Wessels and Basel’s President of Parliament Annemarie von Bidder plan to be present along with representatives of Shanghai’s government.

Besides the festivities on August 11, professional events on architecture, design, and urban planning will be part of the program of the Basel-Shanghai Days. On Architecture Day (August 8), which was organized in cooperation with Hong Kong University in Shanghai, Hans-Peter Wessels of the Basel government and the Basel architecture offices of Christ & Gantenbein and Buchner Bründler Architekten AG as well as the Basel architect Pascal Berger, who resides in Shanghai, will present Basel as an architecture city of international importance.

On Design Day (August 9), the School of Design and Art at the University for Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland will introduce itself as an education and culture institution of the City of Basel. Presentations of project work from the Master’s program in Masterstudio Design at the School of Design and Art will be featured.

Finally, on City Development & Planning Day (August 10), an exchange takes place between Basel and Shanghai professionals on the topic of city development and planning.

Further information

Further information on the Basel-Shanghai city partnership and on Basel’s presence at World Expo 2010 Shanghai can be found at www.basel.ch and www.basel-geneva-zurich.org.

Contact for media

Sabine Horvath

Head of External Affairs and Marketing, Canton of Basel-Stadt

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

E-mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

Shanghai, May 29, 2010 - The Swiss City Joint Pavilion of Basel, Geneva and Zürich, featuring Swiss water management cases, on May 29^th continued its post-Expo opening celebrations with its Joint Cities Day event. This ceremony was marked by a memorable performance by a water orchestra and ballet, as well as keynote addresses from Swiss officials Mr Manuel Tornare, Mayor of Geneva, Ms Corine Mauch, Mayor of Zürich and Dr Guy Morin, President of the Executive Council of Basel-Stadt.

In his speech marking the opening of the Cities Day event, Manuel Tornare outlined both the functional and thematic design of the pavilion. “Our pavilion was designed to both broaden and enrich Expo visitor interactions with high-quality water,” he later commented, “combining open spaces, 360 degree visual entertainment, and fresh, drinkable water, we hope visitors will enter with curiosity, and exit with excitement”. Corine Mauch commented on Switzerland’s contributions to the Expo theme “Better City, Better Life”, she remarked, “Switzerland’s water management experiences highlight urban necessities for clean and reliable water sources. It is our wish that this pavilion inspires not only continual progress in Switzerland and China, but also the world at large”. Guy Morin commented, “We are pleased with this opportunity to add yet another layer to the already deepening Sino-Swiss relationship, and furthermore anticipate similar progress in future Swiss City Joint Pavilion events”.

Event guests enjoyed the occasion by sharing personal narratives about water against the pavilion’s backdrop of Basel, Zürich, and Geneva city landscapes. Joining the audience was the Big Water Orchestra with Swiss musician René Krebs and the water dance performance. By snapping their fingers, patting their knees, and stomping their feet, the orchestra simulated the sounds of falling rain. The ballet dancers then joined in, synthesizing these sounds into a marvelous hydro-spectacle of song and dance.

Preview

Following the Cities Day event, the Swiss City Joint Pavilion plans to feature additional major events throughout the course of the Expo.

Basel, Geneva and Zürich will each have a specific city week, during which they will present themselves in all their variety while maintaining and expanding their networks with Chinese representatives. While the Basel Week took place before today’s Cities Day (20-28 May), Zürich Week follows immediately (30 May-6 June) before Geneva Week (4-15 September). During Basel-Shanghai Days (8-11 August) Basel and Shanghai celebrate their partnership.

Swiss Day, to be held on August 12^th, will mirror the open forum setting of Cities Day. However, it will also feature the added dynamic of artist Ted Scapa, as well as a band of 12 water drummers accompanied by a dance troupe.

The pavilion’s closing ceremony, to be held during the closing stages of the Expo, will bring pavilion events to a dramatic crescendo. It will incorporate highlights of the opening ceremony, and both Cities and Swiss Day, into a large-scale event synthesizing footage from these events, water narratives, Ted Scappa’s artwork, and more, into one large exhibition to cap off Expo closing celebrations.

Further information

For more information on the Pavilion content, pictures of the Swiss Cities Day or details on the future events, please visit www.basel-geneva-zurich.org

Media Contact

Sabine Horvath

Head of External Affairs and Location Marketing, Canton of Basel-Stadt

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

Sami Kanaan

Directeur Département de la cohésion sociale, de la jeunesse et des sports, Ville de Genève

Tél: +41 (0)22 418 49 03, Mobile: +41 (0)79 204 30 12

Brigit Wehrli-Schindler

Direktorin Stadtentwicklung Zürich, Stadt Zürich

Auskünfte vermittelt: Medienstelle Präsidialdepartement: +41 (0)44 412 30 96

Howe Yin Zhao

Swiss City Joint Pavilion manager

Email: Howe-yin.zhao@gmx.ch

Tel: 13120686606

The Swiss city of Basel and the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai have been linked together since 2007 by a city partnership that is profitable for both sides. Special thematic days during the "Basel Week" from the 20^th to 28^th May at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai created an appropriate forum for deepening and further expanding the various cooperation projects.

During the "Basel Week" (20 – 28 May), the Swiss city of Basel is presenting itself at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai in its full diversity. Special thematic days in the joint Cities Pavilion of Basel, Geneva and Zürich have created an appropriate forum for deepening the city partnership between Basel and Shanghai that has been in existence since 2007. Many Basel representatives and organizations made use of this unique opportunity to update existing projects with Shanghai and to launch new projects. Among others, Guy Morin, President of the Executive Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, Carlo Conti, Vice President of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the Mayor of Shanghai, HAN Zheng, and Vice Mayor of Shanghai, TANG Dengjie, met on the 26^th May to discuss common interests.

The City Mayor of Basel, Guy Morin, is convinced that "The City Partnership is profitable for both sides and has great potential for the future". Basel and Shanghai are both cultural cities of international renown, as well as being high growth economic locations with a globally leading Life-Sciences industry. Both cities can thereby learn and profit from one another.

A very varied programme
On the "Water & Energy Day", which took place on the 20th May within the context of the "Basel Week", the local authorities of Basel and Shanghai, together with experts from the chemical industry, exchanged ideas regarding suitable water protection measures. In addition, the "Innovation & Business Day" (21^st May), at which Basel presented itself as an attractive economic location, gave companies and organizations involved in the i-net Basel innovation network the opportunity to present their technological innovations in the fields of water purification and water management. "The City of Basel, which, like Shanghai, lies on a river, has invested a great deal in sustainable water management over the last few decades", explains Morin. Today, you can swim in the River Rhine without any problems at all. The Rhine has also become the most important source of drinking water for the population of Basel. The city has a great deal of know-how in the field of sustainable water management, from which the rapidly growing cities of China in particular could learn a great deal, concluded Morin.

During the "Health Days" (24 -25 May), on the other hand, the focus was placed on the technical exchange of information about the Swiss health system and the organization of hospitals. Various cooperation projects in the health sector that have been realized within the context of the Basel-Shanghai City Partnership were also presented. "With the support of the Department of Public Health, the University Hospital Basel and the Medical Faculty of the University of Basel are carrying out projects to promote cultural, medical and scientific exchange between Basel and Shanghai – among others with the renowned Medical Faculty of the Universities Fudan and Jiao Tong", explains Councillor Carlo Conti.

The programme of the "Tri-national Day" (26^th May) clearly reflected the fact that cross-border cooperation with the neighbouring countries of France and Germany is of central importance to the border city of Basel: representatives of the French, German and Swiss communities in Shanghai, as well as the pavilions of the Alsace Region and the City of Freiburg, were invited.

Finally, during the “University Days" (27 – 28 May), Basel presented itself as an attractive education and research location. On the one hand, the University for Commerce at the Technical College of North-west Switzerland introduced its attractive range of further education opportunities for management, while, on the other, the University of Basel – the oldest university in Switzerland – presented its outstanding range of opportunities in the fields of Life Sciences and Cultural Studies in the year of its 550^th anniversary.

Swiss Cities Pavilion of Basel, Geneva and Zürich
The largest Swiss cities, Basel, Geneva and Zürich are presenting themselves at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai with a joint Cities Pavilion in the Urban Best Practice Area (Hall B4-1). Under the motto "Better Water – Best Urban Life", the attractive Pavilion of the Basel designer Stauffenegger & Stutz illustrates how sustainable water management has a positive impact on the urban quality of life. The focal point of the Pavilion is a 360° panorama film showing a 24-hour day by the clean water areas of Basel, Geneva and Zürich.

www.basel-geneva-zurich.org

Further information
You can find further information about Basel on www.basel.ch.  

Contact for media

Sabine Horvath

Head of External Affairs and Location Marketing, Canton of Basel-Stadt

Can be reached on mobile telephone in Shanghai (please note the 6-hour time difference):

Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

Mail: sabine.horvath@bs.ch

The cities of Basel, Geneva and Zurich are ceremoniously opening their joint pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on the 2 May 2010, one day after the public opening. From the start of May to the end of October, under the motto "Better Water – Best Urban Life", the Swiss City Pavilion will show how investment in a sustainable water management is repaid by a high urban quality of life.

"Plunge! – a first jump into the water". Under this motto, Basel, Geneva and Zurich are ceremoniously opening their joint pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on the 2 May 2010. The attractive pavilion by the Basel designer Stauffenegger & Stutz is located in the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA), between major cities such as Paris, Osaka and Prague. From the start of May to the end of October, under the theme of Better Water – Best Urban Life", it will show an audience of millions the contribution that investment in a sustainable water management can make to an extraordinarily high urban quality of life.

Basel, Geneva and Zurich are each contributing a sum of one million Swiss Francs to this World-Expo presence. The financing of this ambitious 4.6 million Swiss Franc project has been secured thanks to the participation of well-known private partners, such as Novartis, MCH Group SA, Titoni and Swiss Re, as well as the Canton of Zurich and other partners.

High quality of life thanks to clean water

The highpoint of the pavilion is a 360° panoramic film that is projected onto a 3.60 metre high, circular screen above the central water basin. The film permits the visitors to experience a 24-hour day with time-lapse images of the clean Basel Rhine and of the clear lakes of Geneva and Zurich. In addition, visitors can obtain information about the various aspects of the sustained water management in Basel, Geneva and Zurich by means of short films that can be selected on touch screens.

A 90 square metre auditorium offers space for numerous events. One highpoint will be the joint City Day on the 29^th May, on which the Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch, the Geneva Mayor Manuel Tornare and Guy Morin, President of the government of the Canton of Basel-City, will present the joint appearance of Basel, Geneva and Zurich at the World Expo. On the World Expo Swiss Day on the 12^th August, the Federal President, Doris Leuthard, will also be visiting the Swiss City Pavilion. During the three City Weeks, Basel (20.- 28.5.), Zurich (30.5.-3.6.) and Geneva (4.-15.9.) will be presenting themselves in even more detail to an interested public.

Further information

You can find more information about the joint appearance of Basel, Geneva and Zurich at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on
www.basel-geneva-zurich.org.

Official Swiss National Pavilion

The City Pavilion of Basel, Geneva and Zurich is a thematic supplement to the Swiss Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, which has been realised by Präsenz Schweiz on behalf of the Swiss Confederation. The Swiss Pavilion presents the latest Swiss technology and innovation within the context of country communication in an adventure landscape of urban and rural life.

For further information

Sabine Horvath

Head of External Relations and Location Marketing, Canton of Basel-City

Tel.: +41 (0)61 267 40 87, Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

Sami Kanaan

Director, Department for Social Cohesion, Youth and Sport, City of Geneva

Tel: +41 (0)22 418 49 03, Mobile: +41 (0)79 204 30 12

Brigit Wehrli-Schindler

Director of Zurich City Development, City of Zurich

Tel: +41 (0)44 412 36 62, Mobile +41 (0)79 643 36 71

The cities of Basel, Geneva and Zürich today unveiled their joint pavilion for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. This was organised within the framework of a visit to the workshop. The President of Basel’s Great Council, Guy Morin, Zürich’s Mayor Corine Mauch as well as Geneva’s project delegate Sami Kanaan presented a partial construction of the pavilion in the halls of Swiss Exhibition. This highlighted the unique 360° panorama projection, and also set out the content of the project.

Visitors to the World Expo Shanghai 2010 (1 May – 31 October 2010) will be able to enjoy a spectacular 360° panorama film experience. The elaborate film recordings which were realised this summer in all cities shows how clean water in rivers and lakes has a direct impact on the quality of life in and around these bodies of water.

Demonstrating know-how in the field of water management

With the attractive pavilion created by the Basel-based designers Stauffenegger & Stutz, the cities of Basel, Geneva and Zürich will for the first time be jointly showcasing themselves abroad. Under the motto “Better Water – Best Urban Life” the three cities will be demonstrating to Chinese and international visitors what contribution investment in sustainable water management makes towards an exceptionally high quality of life.

Product finance in place

Thanks to the generous support of high-profile partners such as Novartis, MCH Group SA, Titoni and Swiss Re, the financing of the ambitious CHF 4.6 million project by Basel, Geneva and Zürich is already in place. Each city has undertaken to contribute the sum of CHF 1 million towards the project, while the various partners and sponsors will together be contributing CHF 1.6 million.

Events during EXPO 2010 and joint website

On the occasion of today’s media event, the three cities also presented their schedules calendar with the two highlights of the joint city symposium on 29 May 2010 and the visit of the Swiss President on Swiss Expo Day, 12 August 2010.

Further information is available on the new website www.basel-geneva-zurich.org.

Official Swiss country pavilion

The city pavilion of Basel, Geneva and Zürich represents a thematic addition to the Swiss pavilion at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. This will be realising the Swiss presence on behalf of the federal government. Within the framework of the country communication, the Swiss pavilion is presenting an adventure landscape comprising urban and rural elements using state-of-the art Swiss technology and drawing upon its innovative strength.



For further information

Sabine Horvath
Head of External Relations and City Marketing, Canton of Basel-Stadt
Tel.: +41 (0)61 267 40 87, Mobile: +41 (0)79 623 30 14

Sami Kanaan
Directeur Département de la cohésion sociale, de la jeunesse et des sports, Ville de Genève
Tel.: +41 (0)22 418 49 03, Mobile: +41 (0)79 204 30 12

Brigit Wehrli-Schindler
Director of City Development Zürich
Tel.: +41 (0)44 412 36 62

The still-young relationship between the cities of Basel and Shanghai is already characterised by a large number of activities and specific projects. In addition to the joint World Expo appearance together with Geneva and Zurich, the co-operation between Basel University Hospital and Fudan Medical School as well as the junior manager exchange programme have also taken on concrete forms. Furthermore, with the positioning of a basilisk foundation in the refurbished Butterfly Bay Park in Jing'An District, Basel has also established a physical presence in Shanghai.

This week a large delegation from Basel overseen by Executive Council member Carlo Conti, Head of the Department of Public Health of Basel-Stadt and Vice President of the Executive Council, will be working to intensify the twinning of the cities of Shanghai and Basel in Shanghai. The goal of the working trip is to expand the networks between Basel and Shanghai, and to drive the existing projects forward. This includes the appearance of the three cities of Basel, Geneva and Zurich at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai under the motto of sustainable water management as a location factor. In addition, another task will be to finalise details of the junior manager exchange programme which will be launched this May in Basel. To promote exchanges in the cultural field, the Director of the Museum of Cultures, Anna Schmid, as well as Jurriaan Cooiman, Director of the Culturescapes Festival, are also part of the delegation which has gone to Shanghai.

Basilisk fountain symbolising successful city relations  


The working trip was marked by the inauguration of a basilisk foundation in the refurbished Butterfly Bay Park in Jing'An District on 22 April. The inauguration ceremony was performed by Executive Council member Dr. Carlo Conti and LI Liangyuan, Vice President of the Chi-nese People's Political Consultative Conference (Shanghai Committee) and ZHANG Renli-ang, Mayor of the Jing'An District. Following the ceremony, Deputy Mayor Prof. SHEN Xiaoming, who is responsible for health and education as well as science, hosted a discus-sion. This event was designed to deepen the existing fields of co-operation and to promote the discussion of further joint projects.

Co-operation between scientists from Shanghai and Basel
The Basel delegation also includes representatives of Basel University Hospital (“USB”) and the Medical Faculty of the University of Basel, who will be further intensifying the already existing contacts with Chinese scientists in Shanghai. Since 2007, projects to promote cul-tural, medical and scientific exchanges between Basel und Shanghai have been built up in close co-operation between the Department of Public Health, Basel University Hospital and the Medical Faculty. In particular, contacts have been established and promoted in specialist fields which are of particular important in China in terms of diagnostics, therapy and treatment (liver complaints, infectious diseases). For example, a delegation from the distinguished Fudan University Shanghai visited USB in March 2008 within the framework of the twinning of the cities of Basel and Shanghai. For its part, USB is profiting from the huge potential of having well-trained and talented researchers working in USB research laborato-ries on assignments as so-called postdoctoral fellows. The current visit of a USB delegation to Shanghai aims to finalise further details of co-operation plans within the medical-scientific field. In addition, the know-how transfer in Shanghai will give the USB delegation a deeper insight into the Chinese health system, the organisation of hospitals and links between Western and Oriental medicine (TCM).

Download pictures of the fountain inauguration:

picture 1
picture 2
picture 3
picture 4
picture 5
picture 6
picture 7
picture 8
picture 9
picture 10
picture 11


Further information:

Sabine Horvath, Head of External Relations and City Marketing,

Mobile +41 79 623 30 14 (please note the time shift, CET + 6hrs)

The traditional Oranje Party got underway this morning in the Kaserne fan zone. Thousands of Dutch fans are already partying together. The Oranje March towards the St. Jakob-Park Stadium begins at 5.00 pm. Around 100,000 Dutch fans and some 10,000 Russian fans are expected today. There will also be thousands of people in Basel today from the Basel Region, including neighbouring areas of France and Germany. The quarter final game between Holland and Russia will kick off at St. Jakob-Park at 8.45 pm. The fans of both teams are warmly welcomed to Basel. A good 16,000 people were in the official fan zones for yesterday’s broadcast of the Croatia v Turkey quarter final.

Oranje Party has begun
The traditional Oranje Party has been underway at the Kaserne fan zone since 9.00 am this morning. Several thousand Dutch fans are already there to celebrate together, while tens of thousands more will come to Basel during the day. The quarter final game between Holland and Russia will kick off this evening at 8.45 pm. Senior civil servant Christoph Eymann will pass on greetings from host city Basel at the Kasernenareal at 3.00 pm. Most of the Dutch fans who have a ticket will leave the Kasernenareal at 5.00 pm to march to the stadium via Mittlere Brücke, Freie Strasse, Aeschenplatz and St. Jakobs-Strasse. To make the route appear as attractive as possible, host city Basel has created the so-called Oranje Boulevard. This begins at Mittlere Brücke with an orange arched gateway, while Café Spiellmann, the Drachenzentrum and the Hammering Man at the headquarters of UBS on Aeschenplatz are also decorated in the Oranje colours. Several temporary traffic lights have also been placed with an extended orange (amber) phase.

The Oranje Party will be broadcast live on the screens in the fan zones at Münsterplatz (from 12.00 noon) and Kaserne/Riviera.

Welcome Russia
The Russian fans are also warmly welcomed to Basel. A large Welcome Russia transparency has been hung up on Mittlere Brücke, Russian flags are also hanging on the Town Hall and there are various welcome events for the guests from Russia.

Broadcast of the Holland v Russia game in the fan zones
Host city Basel has agreed with UEFA that the broadcast of the Euro 2008 quarter final match between Holland and Russia can also be specially shown at the Messeplatz.  The Marktplatz will only be used to broadcast the game when the Messeplatz and the official fan zones at Münsterplatz and Kaserne/Riviera are fully occupied. This measure should help to prevent the thoroughfare from Grossbasel to the fan zones in Kleinbasel from becoming blocked. In contrast to the official fan zones, there will be no supporting programme at the Messeplatz and Marktplatz. However, the infrastructure will be adjusted through the provision of additional refreshment facilities, first-aid posts and toilets.

The Kaserne/Riviera fan zone will open at 9.00 am on Saturday with the start of the Oranje Party (see press release of 18 June 2008, www.euro08.basel.ch ). The Münsterplatz fan zone will open at 12 noon and the Oranje Party will be broadcast live on the screens in the fan zones.

Traffic restrictions on Saturday
Restrictions to public and private transport can be expected on Saturday. The city centre shutdown of tram services will be expanded. Additional driving bans are required due to the Oranje March. Owing to the arrival of many thousands of fans from Holland, there will probably be traffic restrictions around Basel as well. People are asked to leave their cars at home today if possible and to use public transport to get into the city. It is very important to arrive in Basel on time.

Musical supporting programme on 21 and 22 June
On the fifteenth match day of Euro 2008, the musical supporting programme will be contested at Kasernenareal by the Sound of Swing Big Band Basel and at Münsterplatz by Kalles Kaviar. The concerts begin at 7.00 pm. Concerts by Sheila She Loves You and groovepack are on the programme at 9. Stadion.

On Sunday 22 June from 7.00 pm, Fucking Beautiful will play at the Kasernenareal and the Werkstattorchester at the Münsterplatz. A performance by the Bütikofer Band in Liestal/Bubendorf has been announced. The intercultural street soccer European Championship with migrants will also continue. For more information on the supporting programme at the stages in Basel and Liestal/Bubendorf, visit www.euro08.basel.ch or http://www.9-stadion.ch.

(approx. 4500 characters)

More information
Dr. Hanspeter Weisshaupt, tel: +41 (0)79 321 29 41
Euro Delegate for both Basels

Jakob Gubler, tel: +41 (0)79 619 42 52
Information Officer Host City Basel

Note to the media: A short press conference on today’s broadcast in the fan zones will be held this evening at 9.30 pm in the Riviera media office in the Kleines Klingental Museum on Unterer Rheinweg.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: A “unique platform” for sustainable energy solutions
Pioneering scientists such as Nobel Peace Prize-winner Rajendra Pachauri and Indonesian energy minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and other decision-makers will meet with senior managers from Siemens and BP from 12 to 14 November 2008 at the Congress Center Basel. At the two-and-a-half day conference, they along with representatives of the Rocky Mountain Institute, the World Economic Forum and UN Global Compact and other experts aim to find concrete solutions and form partnerships toward sustainable and secure energy supply. Their platform will be Global Energy Basel, the first international event to focus on innovative partnerships for energy solutions – from the ‘green campus’ for industrial facilities to energy-saving infrastructure proposals for cities and rural areas.

“From the climate crisis to armed conflict and poverty, many of the world’s most pressing challenges are connected to our rising – and often unsustainable – demand for energy. These interdependencies must be understood, and they must be addressed,” writes Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a message to the organisers of Global Energy Basel. Further, he states: “Global Energy Basel has emerged as a leading forum for the energy community to showcase good practice and new solutions. It is my hope that this unique platform will guide us towards making the policy decisions we need to stimulate innovation, promote efficiency, tackle climate change and secure a sustainable energy future for all.”

Christoph Frei, Senior Director of the World Economic Forum and member of the Advisory Board of Global Energy Basel, is aware of the central issue concerning NGO’s, business leaders and public authorities alike: "We are facing extraordinary challenges with regard to a secure and sustainable energy future. Partnerships with new players and innovative collaboration models are crucial to tackle those challenges. GEB is about the creation of such partnerships."

In fact, many of the technological solutions are already available. What is now required is to bring suitable project partners together, as well as to collaborate actively on concrete solutions. Global Energy Basel is therefore focused on developing new partnerships between the public and private sectors – while consciously looking beyond strict definitions of individual market segments. Sustainability-oriented urban planning, such as in the case of so-called eco towns, is therefore as much a focal point of Global Energy Basel as energy-saving urban, rural and industrial infrastructure planning. Mobility and transportation issues will also be taken into account alongside energy and water supply considerations. Further, the basic financial and political conditions of such projects will be discussed.

During the plenary and panel sessions of future annual editions of Global Energy Basel, providers and other interested parties will discuss concrete approaches. The event organiser, MCH Messe Schweiz AG, anticipates approximately 1,000 high-calibre participants. The broad array of specialised fields and sectors that Global Energy Basel will bring together for discussions is witnessed by the steadily growing list of speakers and moderators taking part, including star architect Jacques Herzog, Nobel Peace Prize-winner Rajendra Pachauri, media expert Vijay Vaitheeswaran from The Economist, and Amory B. Lovins from the Rocky Mountain Institute.

The list of those pushing – both in and outside of conference rooms – for viable approaches to develop the world’s economy in a sustainably manner is long: from the energy ministers of Switzerland and Indonesia to executives from BP Group, Credit Suisse and Siemens to Klaus Töpfer, the former director of UNEP, and Eileen Claussen from the PEW Center for Global Climate Change. The importance that international organisations are attaching to the Basel event has once again been demonstrated by the recent addition of the United Nations Global Compact as a further GEB partner, joining the World Economic Forum, ICLEI and the Swiss government. The UN Global Compact is committed to establishing social and ecological cornerstones that will support the new global economy, and ensure that globalisation benefits all of the world’s people. Since its founding, over 1,400 companies as well as employee, human rights, environmental and human development organisations from around the world have joined the UN Global Compact.

Moritz Leuenberger, Switzerland’s energy minister and patron of GEB, offers this accurate summary: "The world is a village. Negotiations on the global stage feature the same mechanisms as in municipal assemblies: group dynamics emerge and therefore also mutual influence through sentiment and emotion. I support Global Energy Basel as an event which unites countries, cities, companies and NGO’s to find practical, integrated solutions – as on a village square."

About Global Energy Basel
Global Energy Basel is a new marketplace and partnering platform for the world’s most important exponents of sustainable energy solutions. Representatives from industry, government, administration, science and NGO’s present exemplary solutions for secure and sustainable energy supply in the context of large infrastructure and urban development projects. Centrally addressed are the critical factors for successfully establishing the strategic partnerships necessary for implementing such projects. The inaugural Global Energy Basel will take place from 12 to 14 November 2008 at the Congress Center Basel, and will be organised annually by Messe Schweiz. The partners of Global Energy Basel are the World Economic Forum, ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability), the Swiss Government and the Government of Basel-City, as well as the UN Global Compact and the Climate Group, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing business and government leadership on climate change. Further information about Global Energy Basel at www.globalenergybasel.com.

Contact for exhibitors and visitors:
Peter Räber, Show Director
MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd
Global Energy Basel
CH-4005 Basel
T +41 58 206 25 71
peter.raeber@globalenergybasel.com

Media contact:
Katja Bolliger, Senior Communications Manager
MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd
Global Energy Basel
CH-4005 Basel
T +41 58 206 27 84
katja.bolliger@globalenergybasel.com

The “BASEL.BEST PLACE to...” pavillion is open for visitors from Switzerland and abroad during the UEFA EURO 08 as of 6 June 2008. Anyone interested can discover Basel as a business and cultural centre with international flair at the pavillion located on the fan boulevard on the “Kleinbasel” side of the Rhine. The location marketing project aims to help make an international audience more aware of Basel beyond the realm of football. Barbara Schneider, a member of the cantonal government, attended the opening of the pavillion.

At the “BASEL.BEST PLACE to...” pavillion, visitors from Switzerland and abroad can see for themselves that the Basel region lives up to the slogan “Basel. More than just 90 minutes.” not only as a venue for the EURO 08 but also as an attractive business and cultural centre with international flair. The attractive pavillion is situated on the “Wohlterasse” on the Kleinbasel side of the Middle Bridge.

Anyone interested will find panels in German and English with facts and interesting information about Basel, including Basel as a business location, the education opportunities in the region and the range of cultural and leisure activities in this region that encompasses three countries. Knowledgeable partners will also be on-site in the pavillion to answer questions in-depth. The “BASEL.BEST PLACE to…” pavillion will be open daily from noon until 7 p.m. from 6-29 June.

“BASEL.BEST PLACE to...” is a project of the Canton of Basel-Stadt organized by the Basel Location Marketing team. The aim of the project is to make an international audience more aware of Basel beyond the realm of football during UEFA EURO 2008.
The Patrons Committee of “BASEL.BEST PLACE to…” includes Member of Cantonal Government Ralph Lewin, Matthias M. Baltisberger, Head of Basel Site at Roche, Andreas Burckhardt, Manager of the Basel Chamber of Commerce, Barbara Gutzwiller-Holliger, Head of the Management Team of the Basel Employers Association, Prof. Peter J. Meier-Abt, Vice-Rector of the University of Basel, Michael F. Plüss, Head of Novartis Switzerland and Anna Schmid, Director of the Museum der Kulturen Basel. Project partners include the Office for Economy and Labour of Basel-Stadt, the Basel Employers Association, BaselArea, F. Hoffmann-La Roche and Novartis International, the Basel Chamber of Commerce, Interpharma, Museum Services Basel, Location Marketing Basel and the University of Basel.

Further information is available at www.basel.ch.

For information please contact:
Sabine Horvath, Head of Location Marketing Basel
Mobile +41 79 623 30 14, sabine.horvath@bs.ch