(VELINO) Roma, 5 Jun - Italy will be at Expo Pack, the mainpromotional event in Latin America for packaging and foodprocessing technologies. The initiative will be held in MexicoCity from June 16 to 19, with the Italian Institute for ForeignTrade (ICE) organising an Italian pavilion in partnership withthe association of Italian suppliers of automatic machines andtechnology for the packaging industries, UCIMA. Expo PackMexico is internationally recognised as the most important fairin the region for process technologies, and packaging in thefood, drinks, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Theboxing and packaging industry accounts for about 1.6 percent ofthe gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, a major buyerof packaging machinery used mainly in the food and drinksindustry, in pharmaceuticals and in cosmetics and body careproducts. Italy is now one of the market leaders and ranks asMexico's second largest supplier for this machine sector, afterthe U.S, and ahead of Germany. The participation of Italiancompanies is also part of the initiatives for the Year of Italyin Latin America, in which Mexico has already played a leadingrole. Most recently the "Restoration in Italy" exhibitionopened on May 29 and continues until June 26 at the ItalianCultural Institute (IIC) of Mexico City. The central theme isthe work of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage,with special emphasis on the role played by the High Institutefor Conservation and Restoration (ISCR), a world centre ofexcellence in the field. vel.