Pakistan, Italy Pledge to Strengthen Ties in Education, Trade, and Migration
— January 14, 2026
ISLAMABAD (AIA) Pakistan and Italy have reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation in education, migration, trade, and people-to-people exchanges. Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Italian Ambassador Marilina Armellin discussed ways to strengthen Pakistan-Italy relations during a meeting in Islamabad.
The two countries have enjoyed over 75 years of diplomatic relations, with Italy hosting over 300,000 Pakistani diaspora members. Pakistan seeks to expand trade and investment ties, particularly in pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, and railways. The Acting President emphasized the need for faster visa processing and an increased quota of skilled workers under the labour migration programme.
Italy has issued visas to over 15,000 Pakistani students for postgraduate and PhD programmes in 2025. Italian institutions welcome Pakistani universities offering Italian language courses to improve employment prospects, addressing Italy’s shortage of skilled manpower in scientific, IT-related fields, and healthcare.