KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Yousef Al-Ali said Kuwait's participation in EXPO Milano 2015 sheds light on its effective charitable role at the global level and publicizes its civilization that has successfully grown despite major hurdles such as the hard desert environment. The minister, in a statement issued by his department yesterday, said Kuwait has keenly taken part in the international event due to its robust belief in sustainable development and for sake of bringing into limelight achievements of the country and the other GCC states.

The Kuwaiti pavilion has proven successful due to the high turn-up of visitors, particularly the great number of GCC citizens. It has been designated as among the top 10 pavilions at EXPO, for it portrayed Kuwait's accomplishments as blended with the country's heritage. Its participation was particularly significant this year for it coincided with the 50th anniversary of establishing ties with Italy and the 25th anniversary of the Iraqi aggression, an event where many nations of the globe sided with Kuwait.

The minister (on Thursday) accompanied by Parliament Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim and MPs, inspected the Kuwaiti stands, showcasing the Kuwaitis' struggle in the past and presence for developing their homeland into a modern state. Meanwhile, Al-Ghanim's visit to the Kuwaiti pavilion was met with a high praise by senior Kuwaiti government officials, confirming that his visit was a crowning moment for a six-month efforts.

The Parliament Speaker and his accompanied delegation's visit is "great", Minister of Justice, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yaqoub Al-Sanea said in a press statement, adding that Al-Ghanim found, while touring the pavilion, several rich historic information on the Kuwaiti environment in the past such as life difficulties and lack of resources.

The Kuwaiti pavilion was among the top 10 pavilions in this expo, Al-Sanea said, adding that it succeeded in highlighting Kuwait's humanitarian and philanthropic efforts. On his part, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Bader Al-Essa congratulated His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince on the Kuwaiti pavilion's success, expressing pride over what he saw at the pavilion. It reflected Kuwait's modernized side, showcasing the desert and marine environments in the country, Al-Essa said, pointing out the increasing number of the pavilion's visitors that reached over 11,000 daily. - Agencies