Italy, in a letter from the country’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, has confirmed its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.

The confirmation came after a meeting between Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee and chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airline, and Maurizio Martina, Italian Minister for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, held at the Emirates Airline headquarters in Dubai, UAE.

"Having hosted Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy understands the convening power of the world expos and their value as a collaborative platform to explore areas of human endeavour. We are delighted that Italy has confirmed its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, the latest chapter of co-operation between our two nations," said Sheikh Ahmed.

Maurizio Martina said: "Having welcomed around 20 million people to the Milan Expo and beginning to see the benefits of the social and economic legacy of the mega event, we know the value of world expos and are pleased to show our commitment to Expo 2020 Dubai.

“As a destination for Italian business and tourism, we can relate to the Dubai Expo’s theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, and we have insights into each of the Expo’s three subthemes, Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, that we look forward to sharing with an international audience."

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed and Martina also discussed further areas of co-operation, including trade, investment and tourism. A team of 30 Italian business representatives, led by Ivan Scalfarotto, Italian Deputy Minister of Economic Development, also visited the Expo 2020 Dubai site to see the work under way and learn more about the organisers’ plans.

Italy and the UAE enjoy strong trade and tourism links. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached more than Dh28 billion ($7.6 billion) in 2015 and more than 600 Italian companies currently operate in the UAE. A total of 300,000 Italian tourists visited the UAE last year, with direct flights available between the UAE and a number of Italian cities, including Milan, Rome, Bologna and Venice. – TradeArabia News Service