Pakistanis in Italy contributing to both countries: Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Italy’s Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese this week that with a community exceeding 180,000, Italy is home to the largest Pakistani diaspora in Europe (post-Brexit) and their contribution to the Italian economy, as well as to that of their native country was remarkable.

In a media interaction, the envoy noted that the workers’ remittances from Italy to Pakistan have been at an all-time high in the past two years.

He said Italy was the seventh largest source of worker remittances to Pakistan globally, and the top one within the EU countries.

He said that both countries appreciated the importance of people-to-people contacts that fostered bilateral ties and the Italian Embassy in Pakistan was strongly committed to improving consular services.

He expressed the hope that establishment of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) office in Islamabad and assignment of the first Italian Trade Director to Pakistan would enhance trade cooperation between the two countries.

He said Italy and Pakistan have signed an important “Roadmap for Cooperation” which covered climate change, trade & investment, heritage & culture, agriculture, technical cooperation, higher education, and transfer of technology in related sectors.

“Italy remains among the top ten exporting countries for Pakistan in the world, and the third major trade partner in the EU. Both our countries are in favor of trade liberalization scheme at the World Trade Organization and contest the idea of unilateralism” he said.