Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui departed for Paris on Tuesday to lobby for Osaka's bid to host the 2025 World Expo.

Matsui will attend a meeting of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions, the 170-member state organization that awards World Expos, on Wednesday. Paris is also vying to host the expo the same year along with two other cities — Ekaterinburg, Russia, and Baku, Azerbaijan.

Matsui told reporters Tuesday before departing that he will use the visit as "a chance to meet various member delegates one-on-one and gain their understanding for the Osaka, Kansai 2025 Expo bid." He said he himself "won't be making a presentation."