President Hery Rajaonarimampianina arrived in Expo on Thursday with a delegation of politicians and businessmen to be welcomed by hundreds of compatriots who live in Italy and traditional music and dance by folkloric ensembles Firaisan-Kinan'i Tanora Malagasy and Gasytsy Manavaka. The Italian government was represented by deputy minister of Agriculture, Andrea Olivero, who said Italy wants to continue to support Madagascar on its path of economic development. "We want to increase our investments in the country to strengthen economic exchanges and socio-cultural cooperation," he said. The president said the country wants to strengthen ties with Italy. "Our relations go a long way back and we have a very promising future ahead of us," he said. There are many opportunities for Italian entrepreneurs in Madagascar, particularly in tourism and agriculture. "Our nation has an exceptional natural wealth and we are committed to preserve and enhance it to allow everyone to admire our unique biodiversity," he said. The country has more than eight million hectares of arable land, and the government has launched policies to improve the productivity and competitiveness. Madagascar has increased the resources to agriculture to "modernise the infrastructure, purchase equipment and improve irrigation". He said: "Madagascar may be far away, but it offers many opportunities. Come and visit us, discover us and invest in us." Visitors can taste local dishes at Madagascar's pavilion at the Expo's Sea and Food Cluster. (AGI)