ISLAMABAD: Italy and Pakistan’s friendship is growing stronger, and both countries have committed to broadening and diversifying bilateral relations, notably in the field of economic cooperation.
Ambassador of Italy Andreas Ferrarese talked at a reception on Friday celebrating the ‘National Day of the Italian Republic’ at a local hotel.
The occasion’s main guest was Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who was joined by Governor of Punjab Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) Zahid Akram Durrani.
Senators, members of the National Assembly, the diplomatic corps, the business community, and civil society all came in large force to meet Mr. and Mrs. Andreas Ferrarese on this historic occasion. In a brief speech congratulating the Italian Ambassador, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said that Pakistan and Italy had strong relations. He went on to say that this friendship is just going to get stronger in the following days. Italy is a key member of the European Union (EU) and has consistently backed Pakistan, whether on GSP plus or any other subject.”
Strengthing ties with Italy
According to the minister, Pakistan recognized the Italian goodwill gesture and hoped to strengthen ties with Italy. While greeting guests, Ambassador Andreas noted that 2023 also marked the 77th anniversary of the Italian Republic Day and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Pakistan.
According to Ambassador Andreas, Italy and Pakistan have good connections, and the establishment of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) office in Islamabad marks an important turning point in the exploration of mutual business relations. He emphasized that this would be an important move towards enhanced trade cooperation. We shall continue exploring opportunities in agriculture, renewable energy, textiles, construction, and tourism.
The ambassador said the two sides agreed to build a cooperative structure to deal with climate change and cooperation, water management to deal with climate change at the 5th Pakistan Joint Economic Commission, which took place on May 29-30 in Rome. He continued on to say that this is also a vital roadmap for cooperation since it includes climate change, trade and investment, heritage and culture, agriculture, technical cooperation, higher education, and technology transfer.
The ambassador added that bilateral trade is at an all-time high of €2 billion. The Italian ambassador praised the Pakistani community across Italy. According to him, Italy has the largest Pakistani diaspora in Europe (post-Brexit), with a population of over 180,000 people. Their contribution to the Italian economy, as well as the economy of their country of origin, is remarkable.
