Foreign undersecretary Maria Tripodi touted Italy's bid to host the Expo 2030 world trade fair in Rome on Thursday at talks with representatives of eight countries on the sidelines of Unesco's General Assembly in Paris.
Tripodi met with with representatives from Japan, Chile, Cook Islands, Liberia, Suriname, and Slovenia to promote Rome's candidacy, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Together with Italy's permanent representative to Unesco, Liborio Stellino, Tripodi also held bilateral meetings with St. Kitts and Nevis deputy premier Geoffrey Ian Hanley and Andorra's premier, Xavier Espot Zamora, the statement said.
During the talks, Tripodi outlined the government's vision of Expo Rome 2030 as "an instrument of cooperation between countries and a driving force for developing economic, scientific, and cultural synergies," said the statement.
Buttressing Rome's bid to hold Expo 2030 is Italy's extensive experience in organising major international events - expertise which is key to the logistical support needed to build the pavilions, the statement underlined.
Another strongpoint of Rome's candidacy is availability of financial aid for countries "to ensure fair and inclusive participation, in keeping with its underlying values, which are shared by Europe's institutions," the statement added.
Rome is vying with Riyadh and with Korea's second-largest city of Busan to hold Expo 2030. The winning host city will be picked by organising body BIE's 181 member countries in a vote by its General Assembly in Paris on 28 November.
