Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday unveiled the torches for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics at a ceremony at the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka staged via video link with an event in Milan.
    Tajani said he hoped the torches, which were designed by the architect Carlo Ratti, and the Games would contribute to peace, referring to the wars in Gaza and in Ukraine and Sunday's attack by Russia in the city of Sumy in which 34 people died, including seven children.
    "We must ensure that the Milano-Cortina Olympics can truly be another strong message of peace at a time when two wars are being fought on Europe's doorstep," Tajani said.
    "We saw what happened yesterday - a criminal Russian attack against the civilian population in Ukraine.
    "I hope that by the time the Olympic Games begin, we will have ended the war phase, just as we hope that peace can return for the Palestinian people and that all the hostages can be freed.
    "The torches carry a message of peace and I hope the light can reach Moscow, Kyiv, Tel Aviv, Gaza and every place where people are suffering".
    The torches were unveiled with 2014 figure-skating Olympic bronze medalist and 2012 World champion Carolina Kostner and three-time 100m Paralympic sprint gold medallist Martina Caironi.
    The Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani, said the the partnership between the Italy Pavilion and Milano-Cortina 2026 was "natural".
    "Expo is about designing future society for our lives and the most important thing is health, including mental health, fairness, learning to work as a team," he said.
    "Sport is one of the fundamental ingredients of our story".
   
   

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