Italy Launches Visa Services in Another Pakistani City

The First Secretary at the Embassy of Italy, Augusto Palmeiri, has announced that Italy has commenced its visa service operations in Lahore.

Palmeiri also revealed plans to expand the visa service to other major cities across Pakistan in the near future. He made these announcements during a meeting with traders at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar, Senior Vice President Zafar Mahmood Chaudhry and executive member Chaudhry Khadim were present on the occasion. Augusto Palmeiri underscored the crucial role of enhancing the ties between Italy and Pakistan, both in terms of relations and business ventures.

The First Secretary at the Italian Embassy stressed the potential for significant growth in bilateral trade between the two countries, setting an ambitious target of reaching $5 billion.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar expressed the chamber’s interest in renewing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was signed with the Embassy of Italy in 2018.

Kashif Anwar highlighted Italy’s significant economic importance for Pakistan, emphasizing its status as one of the largest economies within the European Union with a GDP of more than 2 trillion dollars.

Italy holds significant importance as a trading partner for Pakistan in Europe as it ranks 8th among the top destinations for Pakistani exports. According to him, citing data from the State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan’s exports to Italy amounted to approximately $1.15 billion during the fiscal year 2022-23 while imports from Italy were $527 million in the same period.