Islamabad, 3 February 2023 (TD): Dr. Kazim Niaz, Federal Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division of Pakistan, received Luca Maestripieri, Director General of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Rome, and Andreas Ferrarese, Italian Ambassador to Pakistan.
Senior representatives from both sides’ governments were present at the meeting. During the meeting, Luca Maestripieri revealed during the meeting that the Italian Republic’s government wants to collaborate with Pakistan’s government.
The agenda would be to strengthen economic cooperation with a focus on bolstering economic assistance through development projects.
In this vein, he further added that “Pakistan is a very important country for us, and, we will continue to engage with the Government of Pakistan through our economic cooperation”.
Additionally, it was mentioned that the Italian government is concentrating particularly on fostering people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
The development of connections between the academic institutions, governmental agencies, and business associations of the two nations is therefore given top priority.
Also read: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister meets Ambassador of Italy
Along these lines, the various development initiatives will further bolster and strengthen the ties between the two nations. It must be noted that the Italian Trade Agency office will also soon open.
Consequently, trade ties between Pakistan and Italy will be strengthened, according to Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese.
Also, the pledge made by the Italian government at the Resilient Pakistan Conference in Geneva was appreciated by Dr. Kazim Niaz.
Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) also lauded the establishment of Heritage Field Schools for the preservation of cultural heritage, and the Economic Transformation Initiative in Gilgit Baltistan.
Likewise, he appreciated the Command Area Development Work of the Kaitu Weir Project Kurram Tangi Dam and the Establishment of the Olive Culture Value Chain.
The above-mentioned are just a few of the economic development initiatives in Pakistan that he further acknowledged the Italian government’s ongoing support for.
Furthermore, Secretary MoEA also asked the AICS for assistance in developing the tourism sector while acknowledging the crucial role that Italian economic aid has played in the socioeconomic development of Pakistani citizens.
The Director General of AICS is in Pakistan with a delegation that includes Grancesco Capeccbi; Director General for Development Cooperation, and Stefano Glinianski; Director of the Assessment Unit, from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They will also meet with the Chairman of the Planning and Development Board of Punjab in Lahore and the Chief Secretary of Gilgit Baltistan in Gilgit during their visit.
