Statement To The Media By H.e. Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, The President Of India At The India Pavillion In Shanghai World Expo 2010

I appreciate the efforts of the Government of China in organizing this mega World Expo. During this mega expo the theme is 'Better Cities Better Life', which is now becoming of greater and greater interest. With increase in urbanization all over, it has become very necessary to plan and build our cities, in such a manner that human beings can live better lives. A message is also being sent here regarding living in harmony - individuals with one another and with nature as well. I have just visited India's pavilion. The design, the architecture and presentation are unique. The use of bamboo as recyclable material and the Green technologies of solar and wind power used, shows the attention to environment and sustainable development that we are committed to. The panels depict our journey from the ancient times through the medieval period to modern times, as well as our unity in diversity and our cultural diversity. I have been told by the organizers that the dome has been made from bamboo jointly by Indian and Chinese architects. This is another example of living in harmony.