Under the patronage of the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MoET), an official Lebanese delegation headed to Milan, Italy, where the Lebanese Pavilion concluded its participation at Expo Milano on October 27, 2015. The closing ceremony featured the manufacturing of soap and olive oil, major Lebanese products, in two different demonstrations at the Bio Mediterranean cluster.
During the ceremony organized by ICE International Events, Mr. Amir Hassoun, representative of Lebanon's Khan Al Saboun in Tripoli, briefed guests about the soap industry in Lebanon. Hassoun stressed Khan Al Saboun's soap is produced from the finest herbs, flowers and organic oils, and presented a live demonstration of the soap making process in front of an audience who was impressed by its quality and aroma.
Olive oil production revealed its importance at the expo through a live cooking demonstration where traditional dishes prepared with olive oil introduced the foreign crowd to the Lebanese cuisine and its artistic heritage. Being one of the most important agricultural products in Lebanon where olive trees cover 5.4% of its area, the olive oil sector leads a major role in the Lebanese economy through targeted investments to boost productivity in this sector by the use of technology in the markets. This boost leads to employment in mountainous areas, poverty alleviation and the reduction of production costs, further increasing sales at competitive prices in the global market.
Lebanon has effectively proven its diplomatic presence at Expo Milano since the inauguration of the exposition, whereby visits to the participating countries' pavilions were made by a delegation presided by the Minister of Economy and Trade, Dr. Alain Hakim, enhancing international and economic relations with them, under the "economic diplomacy".
During the six months' run of the exhibition, the Lebanese Pavilion organized many cultural and artistic events, prompting the Italian Government to congratulate Lebanon for its commitment and participation which further added Lebanese eminence, particularly on economic, cultural and diplomatic levels.
The opening ceremony was held on May 29, followed by a concert by Lebanese pianist Guy Manoukian in June. Lebanese wine also had its share in the expo's calendar where the Lebanese Pavilion celebrated Lebanon's wine day in a special ceremony featuring Lebanese poet Mr. Talal Haydar and Tenor Eliya Francis, accompanied by contemporary artist Jamal Kadamani's live performance of upscale paintings. In September, Lebanon celebrated its National Day at the expo which was revived by the Lebanese dance company, Caracalla, alongside several cultural, artistic and creative performances.
The Lebanese Pavilion ended its participation at Expo Milano with the soap and olive oil industries, concluding a calendar rich in Lebanese culture which the Ministry of Economy and Trade has been determined to portray to the world.
