Floods may hamper Czech participation in Expo 2005

The disastrous flooding that hit the Czech Republic in August may hamper the country's participation in the Expo 2005 exhibition in Japan, according to the weekly magazine Euro. The general commissioner for Czech participation in Expo 2005 said cancelling Czech participation in the exhibition was the most extreme option and that the government is expected to decide on the issue within a few weeks. Euro quoted him as saying the government had originally wanted to spend over 300 million crowns but admitted it would be possible to involve private funds in the project.