NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 20 – Visiting New York for the final push of the campaign for Rome’s candidacy for Expo2030, the Governor of Lazio, Francesco Rocca, and the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, are meeting with UN delegates during the 78th United Nations General Assembly. Rocca is also participating in his capacity as the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, a role he will continue to hold until December despite having resigned.
Competing for the World Expo are South Korea with the city of Busan and Saudi Arabia with Riyadh. The final vote is expected on November 28 at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris, where 170 countries are represented.
According to reports, Gualtieri and Rocca have had at least twenty meetings, including one with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. They also met New York City Mayor, Eric Adams.
As corriere.it explains, the mission is marked by confidentiality, and Rocca is engaging in bilateral talks with other countries but is not disclosing details of the discussions “to avoid giving advantages to competitors.” Gualtieri’s schedule is also packed with appointments, leveraging the high visibility that the capital of Italy can offer compared to its competitors, thanks in part to the project by renowned architect Carlo Ratti. (@OnuItalia)
