The representatives of the world's 11 major religions on Tuesday signed the Milan Charter at Expo, the document that represents the world fair's real legacy.
As a sign of the support and interreligious dialogue of the 80 countries at Expo, they shared their traditional food.
The gathering brought together Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Orthodox, Muslims, Jews and Evangelicals.
The representative of each country brought to the table one his country's dishes: the food was blessed according to the rites of each faith and was shared at the end of the ceremony.
"Each of you is here in the name of the holiness of food, to take a step towards others," said Expo chief Giuseppe Sala, greeting the participants.
That means, he said, "not shutting off inside the enclosure of one's convictions but rather opening up to a dialogue which finds in food a transcendent and therefore universal language".
Italian Farm Minister Maurizio Martina said the day was "fraught with meaning because it makes you think about the holiness and power of food for global dialogue".
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