PARIS -- The Bureau of International Expositions today gave a green light for a world's fair to be staged in Chicago in 1992, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World.
The bureau's 35-nation general assembly also gave approval to Paris' bid to hold a world's fair in 1989 marking the 200th anniversary of the French revolution.
Although both applications were given provisional approval, there was little doubt that final permission will be granted at the next general assembly meeting in November or December.
The bureau controls the staging of world expositions.
'We got what we came after,' Thomas Ayres, president of the Chicago World's Fair-1992 Corporation, said, referring to the presence of a delegation representing Chicago.
George Burke, vice-president of the Chicago fair, added,, 'Chicago has its approval and it can start planning. 1992 is tomorrow morning as far as we're concerned.'
Seville, Spain, was granted provisional approval for a world's fair, or 'general exposition' according to the bureau categories, in 1992, also on the theme of Columbus' voyage from Spain.
But it is doubtful Seville will be allowed to stage a 'general exposition' because two expositions of that category with pavilions from various nations cannot be held in the same year.
An inquiry team will go to Seville, where Columbus lived in 1492 to study the city's plans for an exposition. Bureau officials said the city may settle for an event in a smaller category, probably a cultural celebration.
In the first vote of the day the general assembly waived by the required two-thirds majority its rule that expositions can be held only at intervals of 10 years.
This rule had threatened to prevent either Paris or Chicago from opening an exposition.
