According to the Italian ambassador, the Italian government attaches great importance to this bidding. Delegations have been sent to China for several times, plus that the ambassador himself has visited CCPIT for quite a few times for bidding updates. In the coming April, there is going to be party election in Italy, and both the ruling party and opposition parties have pledged to support the bidding. Therefore, the government re-election will never become a problem for the bidding and preparation work.

 The ambassador indicated that the Italian government attaches great importance to participating in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The Italian government will be working to secure financial and manpower parts and keeping in touch with the organizers of the Shanghai World Expo. The theme for 2015 Milan World Expo is “Feeding the earth & energy for life”, carrying similar significance with that of the 2010 Shanghai Expo “Better city, better life”. If Italy wins the bid, it can facilitate series of cooperation between Italy and China, which will surely promote bilateral relations. Therefore, the ambassador believed that China will support Italy’s bid.

Wang Jinzhen spoke highly of Italy’s bidding efforts, saying that the Italian side has already communicated with the Chinese side through various channels. Therefore the Chinese side has been quite acquainted with Italy’s bidding work. Its theme for the expo has been widely accepted by members of the BIE. What’s more, Milan’s capacity to hold the World Expo is also confirmed.

 Wang said that the World Expo carries great significance in terms of promoting multilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields. Milan of Italy enjoys unique advantages in holding such an event, and China will decide whether to vote Milan based on significance and comparison assessment. If Italy wins the bid, China would love to share experiences with Italy and carry out related bilateral cooperation.
Wang also appreciated the Italian side for its passion for joining in the 2010 Shanghai Expo. According to Wang, the preparation work for the Shanghai Expo has been going smoothly, and so far a total of 198 nations have confirmed their participation in the expo. The Italian side has been working quite efficiently, and at the same time Milan has applied for the Best Urban Practice show. It is believed that the Italian show will be an attraction when the Shanghai Expo opens.

The two sides also discuss issues including bilateral relations and visa issuance.

Cai Guofeng, head of CCPIT Exhibition Department, was also present at the meeting.