Italian Ambassadors remarks on why is Italy wooing Pakistan

[mudas777]

When Western ambassadors in Pakistan talk about broadening trade and economic relations this really needs to be taken with a good pinch of salt.

I am in my late 30s now and I have heard my entire life how Pakistan was supposed to increase trade with certain European nations. It is always the same empty promise. The population is young, the potential is high blah blah. The funny thing is that it is always the ambasadors making such claims.

We are not sharp and verse in searching new markets and taking advantage of them. Too slow, too much red tape, corruption, low quality and les trained skilled labour are some of the factors we lack in from other countries. Having potential is one thing doing some thing positive with them is another issue and that's our responsibility to tab into the potential.

 

[YeBeWarned]

Increasing trade is always a refreshing thing but let's hope our leadership don't duck this up.

 

[Falcon26]

It won't happen. These ambassadors come and go. They become enchanted for a little while and off they go. We have heard these stories before. It amounts to nothing.

Let's be frank now. This is the same West that has been fighting against Pakistan next door in Afghanistan for two decades. Along with the US NATO countries have tried their level best to undermine Pakistan. No one should be under any illusions. They want to prop up India at our expense. This is the whole story.


Absolutely. The world is big. Look at China's example. Trading in every nook and corner. Why should we only look at the West?

Our relationship with the West has not been a good one from the very beginning. It has been exploitative and temporary. First impression is usually the last. It is very difficult to change perception. We need to move on. Pakistan has no time to appease anyone. Build regional trade relations and look beyond the West.

The West is not a monolith, so it is pointless to group them into a single basket.

Italy has always sought strong ties with Pakistan. Italy’s relationship with India is heavily strained. But Pakistan has never responded well to Italian engagements, beyond military purchases. There’s a failure of imagination and it’s entirely Pakistan’s fault.

 

[Mujahid Memon]

It’s unconscionable how Pakistani planners have ignored South America for so long. Fostering economic relations with countries like Brazil and Argentina helps pakistan diversify its exports and gain new markets.

And Africa too

 

[Sheikh Rauf]

“I had great expectations but Pakistan is always more than what I expect,” said the Italian ambassador Andreas Ferrarese in a recent meeting at Dawn’s office. Amid the usual flowery words of Pakistan being a country with great traditions and a young population with positive energy, the ambassador expressed interest in deepening ties between the two countries.

At $1.5 billion, Pakistan-Italy trade is a below its potential. “I was in Lebanon and with its population of four million people, trade was $1.2bn. So there is a lot of room for bilateral trade to grow.”

Pakistan’s main exports are of textile, leather, rice and ethanol. They stood at $731m in the last fiscal year. Imports were $521m. They were mostly of machinery, petroleum products, vehicles, iron and steel and pharmaceuticals.


“We have a community of 200,000 Pakistanis in Italy. About 140,000 are documented and 60,000 are being documented,” said the ambassador. With families back at home, Pakistanis in Italy sent remittances of $452.8m in 2020, accounting for a fifth of inflows from the European Union, according to data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

So why is Italy with an economy roughly seven times of Pakistan wooing us? The answer lies in Pakistan’s potential to modernise its industry, particularly the textile sector, great scope for green energy, big and growing consumer market and its cadre of the wealthy.

Two-way tourism

Speaking from his experience as the person who used to write the official travel advisory of Italy, he spoke of the ways Pakistan can attract tourists.


“Pakistan is not for the middle man. Keeping in mind certain behaviours that may offend local sensibilities, we do not pose major limits for Italians wanting to travel here,” he said. Italians have extreme tourists such as those wanting to climb the Himalayas. Outlining how the middle class can be attracted, the ambassador spoke of the need for infrastructure.

‘Twenty years ago, the salary in Pakistan was 10pc of the Italian salary — now it is 45pc,’ says Italian ambassador Andreas Ferrarese

“People want a comfortable hotel in a scenic spot with English speaking staff and transport available to buy your Pashmina shawls. Even those who are not very rich can then come.”

But it is not a one-way street.

Italy wants to attract rich Pakistanis who spend their summers abroad as well.


“You have 30m people that are rich,” he said, speaking about the competition among European countries that vie for Pakistani tourists — leisure as well as health. Well-off people go to foreign hospitals. “Why should someone go to London for an operation and not Milano,” he queried.

“About 5,000-6,000 Pakistani tourists visit Italy every year. Most go to other countries and that is not positive for us.”

The student outflow

Given that about 30,000-35,000 students go abroad to study every six months, countries are interested in attracting students from Pakistan. Until recent times, Italian universities taught in the national language, which was a bottleneck.

But now more courses are being offered in English. Italy offers good public-sector universities that cost roughly as much as a degree from the Lahore University of Management Sciences or the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture.

However, Italy is still working on developing an infrastructure to process large volumes of students coming in. Sifting through actual students and those using education as a ploy to find a way into the country to settle and flip pizzas is an arduous labour-intensive task, the ambassador explained. While a foreign student is allowed to work 18 hours a week, they are not allowed to enter the job market on a student visa.

An image problem

In the ambassador’s view, Pakistan’s real problem is its image. “Italy has the mafia but it is not like if you went into a restaurant someone will shoot you. The mafia is 20,000 people while the rest of 60m people are normal”.

Positive messages would strengthen your image, he explained. “There are more dangerous countries that I have worked in but their image is an exotic one."

Nor is the salary difference as marked as one would assume. “Twenty years ago, the salary in Pakistan was 10pc of the Italian salary — now it is 45pc,” said the ambassador, much to our surprise. “If you want a quality worker, you have to pay. At the same level of skills, the salary is not so much different.” Add to that the fact more people speak English here than in, say, Vietnam, he added.

Importing Italian machinery

“When people think of Italy, they think of fashion. But our main voice in exports is robotics and machinery — all the textiles in China are made with our looms,” said the ambassador. An indicator of Pakistan’s strength in the global textile market, Italy is enticing Pakistani manufacturers to opt for Italian equipment.

In 2019, according to data by Trade Maps, most of the imports were sourced from China and Germany, followed by Japan and India, with Italy ranking fifth. “Our machinery is more expensive, but it is of the highest quality,” explained Mr Ferrarese.

Recently, two technology centres have been established with Italian cooperation — the Italy-Pakistan Footwear Technology Centre in Lahore and the Italy-Pakistan Textile Technology Centre in Faisalabad — for which latest machinery has been donated by Italy.

However, this generosity is prompted by the hope that these donations will spark interest in companies that will then import them from Italy. “Pakistan is the middle-market, not the lower market. You have a taste for quality,” he said. While manufacturers today may be using labour-intensive machinery, newcomers will aim higher and opt for Italian imports,” hoped the ambassador.

Wooing Pakistan

Italian ambassador expresses interest in deepening ties between the two countries.

www.dawn.com

We sud straight up and clearly ask what they want
Ambassador talks good.

 

[jupiter2007]

Great to See Pakistan-Italian ties growing, welcoming sign once Pakistan's currency recovers , I am sure many Pakistanis will choose Italy as a point of interest for tourism.

The recent fluctuation of Pakistan's local currency has limited Pakistan's ability for Tourism across into Europe
However in Past Pakistani were known to travel and spend time abroad when possible

The figures are improving and I am sure soon travel between two nations will increase to new levels ideally, Pakistan needs economy to recover to 60's level where we were on verge of breaking out , as a Young Developed nation

• Germany
• Italy

Are two nations where Pakistan's ties will no doubt grow , Pakistan could benefit greatly from knowledge from the two Nations

Italy of course is one of most popular football nations specially in Pakistan

• Great possibilities to see Italian Football Academies opening up in Pakistan , and also expansion of Italian Restaurant , via CPEC/Gwadar route
• Other possibilities lie in the Cheese manufacturing and distribution (Joint Ventures)

Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (popularly known as PIDE) is sleeping for last 20 years. Why aren’t they actively involve with building better economic relationships with European and South American countries? Government and governmental institutions are full of incompetent people and that’s why we have nit seen any major development in last 20 years.

I think public-private research institution should be setup for foreign policy and economic development. It will be responsible for working with government institutions and facilitate the communication between Pakistan and foreign institutions.

We haven’t developed our own foreign policies. For last 40 years, our foreign police ran from Washington DC. We need to be neutral and development our own foreign policies and to see what is best for Pakistan.
Our relationship with Italy mainly depend on Pakistan. For last 30 years, Pakistan Is missing great opportunities to improve our relationship with Italy and other European countries.

 

[Vapnope]

There are areas which need immediate attention from the state.
Pakistan has potential in perishables, namely
- Organic meat
- Organic crops & Fruits
- Pharmaceuticals
And we can set up JV for Pharmaceuticals and even steel products.

So far our land reforms have not happened yet and our per acre yield is among lowest in the world.

 

[SoulSpokesman]

When Western ambassadors in Pakistan talk about broadening trade and economic relations this really needs to be taken with a good pinch of salt.

I am in my late 30s now and I have heard my entire life how Pakistan was supposed to increase trade with certain European nations. It is always the same empty promise. The population is young, the potential is high blah blah. The funny thing is that it is always the ambasadors making such claims.

@Dalit

Dalit bhai,

With CPEC largely implemented and the power sector doing good, it may no longer be a mirage.

Regards

 

[313ghazi]

We need a business minded approach to our country. It's the job of an ambassador to blow smoke up the ... but at the same time he makes a point.

If University in Italy costs the same as University in Pakistan - Why aren't we enabling our students to go to University abroad? We could have a web portal that helps with applications, organising finances, visas etc.

Notice how he says we have 30 million rich people - thats what they see as their market. We should be pushing that this market exists, build and sell you wares in Pakistan to this 30 million, then export them from here to other places with other rich people too. Instead of buying our marble, bring machine, train our artisans and make your expensive goods here, sell them just as much to your customers in the EU and elsewhere.

Everyone else puts politics to one side when it comes to business. Plenty of members talked about Africa and South America - but how are we meant to tap those markets? They're not short of raw materials, they want finished goods - we don't really do finished goods, and we definitely don't build Brands.

Bata shoes started in the Czech Republic, i always assumed it was a Pakistani brand. What ties do our nations have? Next to none - but these shoes have brand value in Pakistan.

 

[That Guy]

Considering Italy is one of the very few Pakistan friendly nations in the EU, Pakistan really should take advantage of this fact. The Italians can act as a potentially ally for Pakistan within the EU parliament, and act as a shield against any potential anti-Pakistan issues that prop up in the EU. This is only possible, however, if Pakistan plays its cards right.

It's not a secret that Italy and India do not like each other, and haven't for a long time now ever since the issue with the Italian sailors arose. Pakistan can and should take advantage of this fact.

Pakistan has previously benefitted off this relationship, with the purchase of the Selex Galileo UAV, which gave Pakistan its first real advanced drone, which was used heavily in making the SWAT operation a success. Plus Italy can act as a gateway to further European technology and expertise.

There is much to gain from an increase in Italian-Pakistani relations, I just hope Pakistan's leadership actually takes it seriously.

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@That Guy

It's not a secret that Italy and India do not like each other, and haven't for a long time now ever since the issue with the Italian sailors arose.

India had very good relations between 2004-14 when an Italian was the de facto PM of India.

Regards

 

[That Guy]

When Western ambassadors in Pakistan talk about broadening trade and economic relations this really needs to be taken with a good pinch of salt.

I am in my late 30s now and I have heard my entire life how Pakistan was supposed to increase trade with certain European nations. It is always the same empty promise. The population is young, the potential is high blah blah. The funny thing is that it is always the ambasadors making such claims.

When it comes to the Italians, they've actively tried and put in effort, its Pakistan's side that has always been reluctant for whatever reason.

Italy has sold weapons to Pakistan that other western and European nations were reluctant to do, such as the Galileo UAV giving ToT and local production rights to Pakistan. They were going to sell an armed version to Pakistan as well, but the EU forced them to stop. In recent years, they pitched their assault rifle in the PA rifle competition, the ARX-200. The Italians have ignored Indian protests multiple times, and have actively tried to increase ties with Pakistan, but it's a damn shame that Pakistan remains so indifferent about it.

 

[HostileInsurgent]

@That Guy

It's not a secret that Italy and India do not like each other, and haven't for a long time now ever since the issue with the Italian sailors arose.

India had very good relations between 2004-14 when an Italian was the de facto PM of India.

Regards

Ya Italy and India relations started deteriorating after Italy exported their biggest trash to India.

We would never forgive Italy for exporting this deadly Virus to us.

 

[ACE OF HEARTS]

There needs to be an FTA Free Trade Agreement with Italy aka EUROPEAN UNION.
Similar to what trade agreements have been made with China, Italy should be granted the same status.

There is soo much technology / Machinery that Pakistan can gain, as Italy becoming a gateway to the EU

 

[jupiter2007]

Ya Italy and India relations started deteriorating after Italy exported their biggest trash to India.
View attachment 716752

We would never forgive Italy for exporting this deadly Virus to us.

This might be the only thing can save india from self destruction.