Govt participation in post-Milan Expo enterprise 'crucial' says Martino

(ANSA) - Milan, October 6 - It is "crucial" that the government is part of the enterprise that will oversee the redevelopment of the area currently occupied by Expo once the universal exposition has finished, Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina said Tuesday.
    "There is no doubt that we have full responsibility to work towards a project for the area that is strong, ambitious, national in scope, that lives up to these six fantastic months," Martina said. Italy "really" has something to say to the world on the subject of agri-food, the minister continued.
    "If we are successful in linking the experience of Expo to this perspective we can really give the country a great tool for the coming years," Martina said. Separately, Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni said he "took it for granted" that the government would enter Arexpo, the company set up to manage the site once Expo has ended. There is already a "clear" idea of how the site will be used, he added.
    "I expect the plans will be finalised by the end of October because we need to be operative from November 1," Maroni said. To date discussion has centered on turning the site into a new university campus for innovation and research, with a particular focus on the farm and food sector in keeping with the theme of Expo 'Feeding the planet, energy for life'.