ROME: Ambassador to Italy, Ali Javed, and Italian Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, recently signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic passports. The signing ceremony took place at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Prior to the ceremony, the two dignitaries held one-on-one talks. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the substance, intensity, and upward trajectory of the strategic cooperation between their nations. They reviewed the full spectrum of their traditionally cordial and cooperative bilateral engagement, as well as cooperation at multilateral platforms including the United Nations and the European Union, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Embassy in Rome on Tuesday.
Both sides termed the finalization 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 will facilitate smooth exchanges of diplomatic delegations and strengthen bilateral engagement.
Numerous accords are currently under active consideration by both sides. There are 21 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between universities and think tanks, and 15 agreements have been concluded between the two governments in areas ranging from tourism to culture, science and technology, sports, higher defense studies, and cooperation against drug trafficking.
Key previous agreements include the Defence Cooperation accord signed in 2009, the Strategic Engagement Plan established between foreign ministers in 2013, the Joint Economic Commission in 2005, the Treaty for Protection of Investments in 1997, the Dual Citizenship Agreement in 1983, and the Extradition Treaty in 1972.
Earlier, Pakistan and Italy concluded an MoU for Labor Mobility and Migration in Islamabad, which was Pakistan's first labor accord with a European state. This agreement qualifies the Pakistani workforce to pursue a 10,500 Pakistan-specific jobs quota in Italy.
Ambassador Ali Javed reiterated an invitation to the Secretary General, on behalf of the Foreign Secretary, to visit Pakistan for the 7th round of bilateral political consultations. He conveyed readiness to convene the engagement in the last quarter of 2026, along with keenness to inaugurate the newly built Italian Embassy in Islamabad, Italy's largest diplomatic mission overseas, underscoring the salience of relations with Pakistan.
