Director General of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Rome Luca Maestripieri has said that the Italian government wants to collaborate with the Pakistani government to strengthen economic cooperation, with an emphasis on improving economic assistance through development projects.

He was speaking in a meeting with Dr. Kazim Niaz, the Federal Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division, and Andreas Ferrarese, the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan. “Pakistan is a very important country for us and we will continue to engage with the Government of Pakistan through our economic cooperation,” he said.

He said that the Italian government is paying special attention to fostering people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Because of this, building connections between the academic institutions, governmental agencies, and business associations of the two countries is given top attention. The different development initiatives will further improve the relations between the two nations.

The Italian government will soon build an office of the Italian Trade Agency, which will strengthen the trade ties between Pakistan and Italy, according to Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese. The promise made by the Italian government at the Resilient Pakistan Conference in Geneva was acknowledged by Dr. Kazim Niaz.

The establishment of Heritage Field Schools for the preservation of cultural heritage, the Economic Transformation Initiative in Gilgit Baltistan, the Command Area Development Work of Kaitu Weir Project Kurram Tangi Dam, and the Establishment of Olive Culture Value Chain were among the economic development initiatives in Pakistan that he acknowledged the Italian government's ongoing support for. The secretary asked the AICS for assistance in developing the tourist industry, while noting the crucial role that Italian economic aid has played in the socioeconomic development of Pakistan.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk