Both sides review full spectrum of bilateral engagement, cooperation at multilateral platforms
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed and Italian Secretary General Foreign Affairs Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia in Rome sign an agreement abolishing requirement of visas for diplomatic passports. PHOTO: RADIOPAK
Pakistan and Italy on Tuesday signed an agreement to abolish the visa requirement for diplomatic passports, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
The agreement was signed by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed, and the Italian Secretary General of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, in Rome.
Ahead of the signing ceremony, both sides reviewed the full spectrum of their traditionally cordial and cooperative bilateral engagement and cooperation at multilateral platforms, including the United Nations and the European Union.
Both sides termed the finalisation of the accord as a reflection of mutual trust and friendship and an excellent addition to their existing wide range of bilateral mechanisms for exchanges and cooperation.
The agreement shall facilitate smooth exchanges of diplomatic delegations and strengthen bilateral engagement.
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In late February, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Italy and held meetings with the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, and Spain. Following the visit, Naqvi said Poland and Italy are set to abolish visa requirements for holders of Pakistani diplomatic and official passports soon.
Pakistan and Italy, in May last year, signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Migration and Labour Mobility, aimed at strengthening cooperation on legal migration pathways, labour opportunities, and broader bilateral engagement.
In December, Italy opened a rare legal pathway for Pakistani workers to Europe by allocating a 10,500-job quota over the next three years. Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistanis will travel to Italy each year for work under seasonal and non-seasonal schemes, according to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
Pakistan and Italy have also maintained long-standing ties, including a dual citizenship agreement signed in the early 1980s.
