Slovenia said Friday it would withdraw from the 2012 Expo international exhibition in South Korea due to cost-cutting measures. "Slovenia will not participate at the international Expo exhibition in Yeosu next year due to financial reasons," government spokesman Darijan Kosir told Slovenian news agency STA.
Slovenia had been planning a joint exhibit - at a cost of 1.65 million euros ($2.3 million) - with neighbouring Croatia. "But in light of the planned budget revision and since we could not get the funding needed (from any of the ministers), we decided to cancel the participation despite the agreement for a joint participation with Croatia," Kosir said. Ljubljana is preparing belt-tightening measures to keep its public deficit to around 5.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), compared with 5.6 percent in 2010.