MILAN, Oct 30, (KUNA): Kuwait’s unique participation in the Expo Milano 2015 has positively impacted bilateral relations with Italy, and contributed to the success of the event, Expo Commissioner General Bruno Antonio Pasquino has said. The six-month global exhibition was opened on 1 May, with 145 countries taking part.

Through the Expo, Kuwait sought to convey two significant messages, the first to Italy, the organizer country, with the attendance and visits by senior officials, which implied keenness on boosting ties, Pasquino told KUNAon Friday, one day before the Expo closes down.

He highlighted the great effect of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to the Expo, accompanied by a senior delegation. His Highness the Premier’s official visit to Italy last September added a special dimension to bilateral relations on all levels, he noted. Kuwait’s second message, Pasquino said, was directed to the Expo itself.

The country’s distinguished pavilion has attracted a lot of visitors and media figures, through an innovative design and content, besides a variety of activities through the six months, he said.

InitiativesIn this regard, Pasquino referred to the initiatives launched at the pavilion, culminated with celebrations marking Kuwait’s National Day, which focused on the country’s achievements in “challenging nature.” In addition, Kuwait has been eager to attend, with high profile delegations, the international initiatives and conferences on topics related to the Expo’s core theme, namely “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.” The common thread ran through all the events organized both within and outside the official Exhibition Site.

Such events were topped with celebrations of the 2015 World Food Day, which concentrated on the Zero Hunger Generation, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Apart from the Expo, the Kuwaiti-Italian ties are “excellent on all levels”, and bilateral cooperation covers many thorny issues like fighting terrorism and regional stability. “Kuwait does a lot” in this regard, Pasquino said. In the meantime, Kuwait’s participation in the Expo offered a chance for Italian companies seeking to boost cooperation with the country.

The Expo Commissioner lauded cooperation between officials of the Italian pavilion and their counterparts in Kuwait’s, topped with Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information Tariq Al-Mizram and Kuwait Commissioner General Faisal Al-Mutalaqim and Director of the pavilion Mazen Al-Ansari. Pasquino concluded his interview with KUNA expressing confidence in the success of the next Expo in Dubai 2020