"EXPO is not a local fact, an opportunity or a problem for Milan only, not even for the single region or the Province. This exhibition should involve and mobilize the whole Northern Italy. For this reason, an adequate institutional conscience is necessary". Piero Bassetti, while commenting the assignment of the international exhibition to the Lombardy capital, said: "You can’t successfully set up EXPO with a mere Milanese mentality, or by hiding behind the Pirelli skyscraper or the Madonnina. The Milanese spirit should come up; the international vocation of the city should assert itself and turn out to be successful. And the public institutions should understand that". "At the same time, full collaboration is necessary, together with investments and commitment by privates", said the former president of the Region. Finally, a note for the post-EXPO period: "The exhibition is not the beginning and the end of everything, the ultimate goal to concentrate on. It should also be a starting point, a bridge to the future. Therefore, right from now, it is necessary to look at the period after 2015. The exhibition’s success will depend on our skills to accomplish something remaining after the event, too, with positive feedback for the land, the economy, and the whole city".
