Ambassador of Pakistan, Mr. Ali Javed, recently visited ‘CIHEAM Bari Institute’, to conduct a comprehensive review of ongoing four-years of agricultural cooperation in Olive Sector. He held extensive bilateral talks with Head of Bari Institute, Dr. Biagio Terlizzi, along with a full spectrum of Bari Institute’s Researchers & Technical Experts. 

Both dignitaries, received technical briefings, visited scientific labs and met faculty of the Institute. The Ambassador also undertook a field visit to a model Olive Farm employing both traditional & contemporary techniques. 

Founded & Headquartered in France since 1962 under aegis of OECD & Council of Europe, CIHEAM (Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes) operates through its 4 regional Institutes based in Bari (Italy), Chania (Greece), Montpellier (France) and Zaragoza (Spain). Bari lies 5-hours South of Rome. 

The excellent contribution by International Project Coordinator Dr. Costantino Parma and Senior Expert / Advisor Dr. Marco Marchetti - a distinguished agricultural scientist who has worked with Pakistan for over 40 years -  for the successful cultivation of Olive Trees over an area of 20,000 Hectares, was duly acknowledged by the Ambassador.

The engagement helped define prospective trajectory of cooperation in ‘Olive Value Chain’, since launch in 2022, the Project has also established a nationwide network of certified Master Trainers, delivering hands-on expertise to more than 313 beneficiaries.

CIHEAM Bari has recently set up Pakistan's 1st ‘Olive Oil Sensory Lab’ at NARC and supported creation of 33 rural business startups, with particular focus on women's empowerment in olive-growing communities.

Ambassador also interacted with three Pakistani students enrolled in Master's Program at CIHEAM Bari — two supported by the 'Olive Culture Scale-Up Project' and one funded by the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) — a vivid illustration of cooperation's investment in Pakistan's next generation of agricultural scientists.

'Olive Culture Scale-Up Project' is now regarded as a ‘success story’ of joint cooperation between the two nations and is funded by Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), a development cooperation arm of the Italian Foreign Ministry & Trade.

Pakistan Embassy, Rome
July 13, 2026.