Italy keen to enhance business ties with Pakistan: Envoy

ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (APP):Ambassador of Italy in Pakistan, Stefano Pontecorva Monday said his country considered Pakistan a promising destination for business relations and in order to promote business ties with Pakistan, an Italian business delegation would visit the country in February 2019.
He was exchanging views with President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Ahmed Hassan Moughal and new Office Bearers of ICCI who called on him to discuss the possibilities of organizing a Business Opportunities Conference (BoC) in Italy.
Stefano Pontecorva appreciated the ICCI proposal for organizing a BoC in Italy. He said Italian Trade Commissioner would visit Pakistan in December.
He identified airport management system, construction of roads, power generation, marble, mining, textiles, logistics, robotics and cosmetics as potential areas of cooperation between Pakistan and Italy and stressed that Pakistani private sector should accelerate efforts to take advantage of these opportunities.
He said Pakistani diaspora in Italy has emerged as big businessmen and were contributing well in the country. He said Italy could also cooperate with the government in its Naya Pakistan Housing Program.
Speaking at the occasion, Moughal said the ICCI had held a successful BOC in Turkey in June this year and now it intended to organize the same event in Italy for which close cooperation of Italian Embassy was needed.
He said though Pakistan was facing challenges, however, the business community was optimistic about the initiatives of the government. He said that CPEC has created great prospects for foreign investors in Pakistan and Italian investors should explore Pakistan for JVs and investment in CPEC.
Senior Vice President Rafat Farid and Vice President ICCI Iftikhar Anwar Sethi said that Chamber would fully cooperate with Italian business delegation during its visit to Pakistan in organizing B2B meetings and connecting them with right counterparts in Pakistan.
Both sides resolved to work together for promoting direct connectivity between the private sectors of Pakistan and Italy and improving bilateral and economic relations between the both countries.