Thailand to join EXPO MILANO 2015

BANGKOK, December 15 (TNA) - Thailand will participate in the next Universal Exposition, scheduled to be held in Milan, Italy's second largest city, from May 1-October 31, 2015, during which a 2,947-square-metre Thai pavilion will be contributed to display a cluster of Thai rice. According to an official report released in Bangkok, Chavalit Chookajorn, Commissioner General of Thailand and Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives, represented the Kingdom to sign a contract to participate in the Universal Exposition 2015, called in short as the EXPO MILANO 2015, with Giuseppe Sala, Chief Executive Office (CEO) of the Expo 2015 Company, the organizer of the event, in Italy on Friday. The signing ceremony was witnessed by both Thai and Italian authorities concerned, including Thailand's Deputy Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives Olan Pituck, the ministry's Inspector General Wittaya Chaisuwan, Permanent Representative to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Minister (Agriculture) of the Thai Embassy in Rome Rapibhat Chandarasrivongs, as well as Italian Honorary Consul in Thailand Alberto Virgilio. Friday's signing of the participation contract was another very important step towards the global realization of the EXPO MILANO 2015, themed “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. Thailand is the world's largest producer of rice, with exports of Thai grains expected to total some 8.5 million tons in 2013, included those shipped to the huge European market. (TNA)