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Feature: Milan Expo 2015 works to close gap with lost time
Last Updated: 2013-11-06 08:07 | Xinhua
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Less than 550 days before the Milan Expo's kick off on May 1, 2015, the construction works are underway after years of infighting among local governments delayed the start of the project.

"We can be optimistic on the completion of the construction works, according to schedule," said the president of Lombardy region Roberto Maroni on Tuesday during his visit to the site, which will stretch 1.1 million square meters in the northwestern part of the business capital.

Maroni acknowledged, however, that "some time was lost in the past, when I was not regional president," and some infrastructures which "are not strictly necessary for the 2015 event may be delayed, though they will be not cancelled."

Local reports said that a "short list" of the most important infrastructures for Expo is being outlined and will be presented next week to make a point about what the priorities are and which works can be completed after the world exposition.

Earlier this week, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Maurizio Lupi announced the government's creation of a "sole fund for Expo," a tool that will serve to define the priority works - worth 5.3 billion euros (7.2 billion U.S. dollars) of public investment throughout Italy - in view of the six-month-long event.

The public investment around the site is estimated at around 1.3 billion euros, with additional money coming from participants.

According to a study conducted by a team of economic analysts, the Milan Expo 2015 will produce in Italy, from 2012 to 2020, an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) estimated in 10.5 billion euros.

The study also forecast the food-and-agriculture-themed exposition would create 199,000 new jobs in a country that counts close to 3.2 million people unemployed. Tourism will play the key role to re-launch the image of recession-hit Italy, producing 4 billion euros in GDP and about 80,000 jobs.

Organizers aim for 20 million visitors for the Milan Expo that will also act as a flywheel for international relations centered on one of the greatest challenges of present times.

"The theme chosen is 'Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,' aimed at arousing awareness regarding global hunger. We want to foster a new commitment here," Maroni stressed. One of the main objectives, he added, is that all participants start a battle against food counterfeiting aimed at improving food quality and security.

A total of 138 participants, more than the expected 130, have signed up for the Milan Expo so far. But the notable figure, Expo Sole Commissioner Giuseppe Sala highlighted, was the record-high number of 60 countries that are expected to build their own pavilions.

He said that next month the first lot areas will be assigned to around 30 countries including Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Russia and Japan.

China's pavilion will stretch 4,590 square meters, second in size only to the Germany pavilion. The central exhibit of China's pavilion will be a "super rice" hybrid, which was developed by Chinese scientist Yuan Longping and has an average output capacity nearly double that of standard hybrid varieties.

Beside national pavilions, the participation model "clusters" is one of the peculiarities of the Milan Expo, and will be organized around specific food chains or themes, allowing countries from different continents to collaborate, Sala noted. (1 euro = 1.35 U.S. dollars)

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