• Italy begins campaign in Asia for Rome Expo 2030  

By Easwaran Rutnam  

Italy has sought Sri Lanka’s support in its bid to secure the rights to host the 2030 Expo in Rome. 

Russia, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia have submitted bids to hold the prestigious event.  

Gaetano Castellini Curiel, the Deputy Coordinator of the campaign to make Rome the venue of the 2030 edition of the Universal Exposition, was in Sri Lanka last week for talks with the Government and other officials.  

Curiel told Daily Mirror he picked Sri Lanka as the first country to visit in Asia as part of the campaign to seek support for Rome’s bid to host Expo 2030.  

He said that Sri Lanka was a good place to start as it has similar historical heritage and culture to that of Italy.  

Curiel said that Roma Expo 2030 could help Sri Lanka both through tourism and trade.  If Rome is picked as the host venue, Sri Lanka has been assured a stall to promote the country.   

“Although perhaps many of the Sri Lankans themselves are not yet fully aware of this, this country has all the instruments to exercise an important role in the overall unfolding of a powerful soft power in South Asia. By soft power I mean the ability to develop and practice techniques to use art and material and immaterial culture in the field of international relations, ‘exporting’ them not only to reap economic benefits but also and above all to consolidate one’s geopolitical role,” he said.  

One of the strengths of Rome’s bid is the desire to promote inclusive partnerships and joint projects with each participating country. The projects will be exhibited in national pavilions, offering visitors an extraordinary showcase of innovative solutions and visions rooted in different historical and cultural backgrounds.