Meeting of SAPM/Deputy Chairman Planning with Italian Deputy FM

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Government Effectiveness, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan helda bilateral meeting with Italian Deputy Foreign MinisterH.E. Edmondo Cirielli yesterday. The SAPM, accompanied by Secretary Board of Investment, is in Rome for the FAO ‘Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum’.

Welcoming the 75^th Anniversary of their ties, both sides lauded their traditionally excellent bilateral relations, mutual understanding and support for each other at multilateral platforms marked by the convergence of views and shared interest.

Praising the well established contributions to Italian economic and social development by the 300,000 Pakistani diaspora, largest in EU, the Italian Deputy FM reaffirmed commitment to taking forward bilateral cooperation at all levels. He praised 3000 Pakistani students pursuing higher education in Italy particularly in Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Automation and Nano Technology.

Highlighting ‘Dual Citizenship Agreement’ between Italy and Pakistan, Deputy FM observed that a substantive number of Pakistani diaspora had already qualified as Italian citizens and welcomed the prospects of importing skilled workforce from Pakistan to avail existing opportunities in Italy. In this regard, both sides are seized with negotiating the ‘MoU on Labour Mobility Partnership’.

Welcoming the recent establishment of ‘Italian Trade Agency’ in Islamabad, the SAPM underlined unprecedented levels of bilateral trade during 2022 & 2023 with Pakistani exports crossing Billion-dollar mark in both years and workers remittances from Italy exhibiting similar unprecedented trends of $850mn.

Sharing the contours of newly established ‘Special Investment Facilitation Council’ (SIFC)as gateway for prospective international investments in prioritised sectors namely Agriculture, Energy, Minerals and IT, SAPM highlighted the 100% rise in Pakistan’s IT exports from $2Bbn to $4bn last year.

Expressing satisfaction at last ‘Joint Economic Commission’ held in Rome earlier in May, both sides reaffirmed resolve to maintain high level exchanges, convene next Bilateral Political Consultations between Foreign Ministries in Rome and closely cooperate over Climate Change and Agri-Tech Sectors.

Pakistan Embassy – Rome
October 17,2023.