Shahid Qureshi
ISLAMABAD: Italy’s National Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm at a prestigious reception in Islamabad, bringing together senior government officials, diplomats, parliamentarians, business leaders, and members of civil society to commemorate the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Italy.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Mr. Ali Pervaiz Malik attended the event as the chief guest. Among the distinguished guests were Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi, Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Senator Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi, diplomats, members of the National Assembly and Senate, as well as renowned businessmen and representatives from various sectors.
The chief guest, accompanied by the Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan and other dignitaries, participated in a ceremonial cake-cutting marking Italy’s National Day celebrations.
Addressing the gathering, the Italian Ambassador said she was honored to be the first woman Ambassador appointed to Pakistan since Italy recognized the country shortly after its independence in 1947 and established formal diplomatic relations in 1948.
“I am proud to be the first woman Ambassador appointed to Pakistan since Italy recognised the country soon after its independence in 1947 and established formal diplomatic relations in 1948,” she said.
The Ambassador noted that over the past 78 years, Pakistan and Italy have developed a broad and dynamic partnership encompassing migration, trade, culture, science, development cooperation, multilateral engagement, defence, and security.
“It is a relationship rooted in mutual respect, shared economic interests, common ethical and social values, and joint diplomatic engagement in multilateral fora,” she remarked.
Highlighting growing economic cooperation, the Ambassador said the opening of the Italian Trade Agency Office in Islamabad in 2023 had further strengthened commercial ties between the two countries.
She also underscored the success of Italy’s flagship “Scale-Up Olive Culture” Programme, which has expanded olive cultivation to more than 6.9 million trees across 60 districts of Pakistan. The initiative contributed to the formulation of Pakistan’s first National Olive Policy in 2025, helping reduce dependence on edible oil imports and supporting the establishment of the National Olive Oil Council.
The Ambassador further highlighted development cooperation in Gilgit-Baltistan, where the Economic Transformation Initiative, co-financed with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is supporting approximately 40,000 farmers through improvements in rural infrastructure and agricultural value chains.
She added that dairy and food processing sectors are also being explored as promising areas for future bilateral cooperation.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest Ali Pervaiz Malik congratulated the people and government of Italy on their National Day and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations. He appreciated Italy’s longstanding support for development initiatives in Pakistan and expressed confidence that cooperation in trade, agriculture, energy, and investment would continue to expand in the years ahead.
The reception concluded with renewed commitments from both sides to deepen people-to-people contacts, enhance economic engagement, and build upon the strong foundation of friendship that has characterized Pakistan-Italy relations for nearly eight decades.
