The Italian Ambassador, Andreas Ferrarese, said his government prioritized to enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Italy to its full potential of US $ five billion annually in the next three years from the current US $ 1.7 billion, including textiles.
The ambassador said in FY 2019-20, Pakistan’s imports from Italy stood at the US $ 521 million and included ships, boats, and other floating structures, machinery, pharmaceutical product, aircraft, spacecraft, electrical, electronic equipment, Organic chemicals, iron and steel, miscellaneous chemical products, optical, photo, medical apparatus, and textiles.
The ambassador said, “I want to open up a cultural center, maybe in one part of the new embassy, and promote Italian cuisine, art, paintings, music so that the Pakistanis can know more about Italy.” He said that he was appointed about nine months ago when coronavirus was peaked, and COVID-19 wasted our efforts.
He had to start afresh to give a quantum jump to the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Italy.
Ambassador Ferrarese said the new embassy’s construction was underway.
His priority task was to supervise the new under-construction Italian embassy in the diplomatic area and speed up the process. He said a new economic mission would also be established in Pakistan to enhance trade and economic connectivity with Pakistan.
