Pakistan has formally pressed Italy for faster visa processing for its citizens and an increased quota of skilled workers, highlighting a critical need as a new labour migration agreement between the two nations is being finalised.

The appeal was made during a high-level meeting between Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and the Ambassador of Italy, Ms. Marilina Armellin, who called on him in the capital today. The discussion was centred on strengthening bilateral relations and broadening collaboration in key sectors.

Mr. Gilani underscored Pakistan”s keen interest in expanding trade and investment connections, noting the current presence of several Italian corporations in the country’s pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, and railways industries. He specifically emphasised the necessity for swifter visa procedures for Pakistanis travelling to Italy.

The Acting President stated he looked forward to a larger allocation for skilled professionals under the labour migration programme, for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries is currently under process.

In her remarks, Ambassador Armellin acknowledged Italy”s shortage of skilled manpower, particularly in scientific, IT-related fields, and healthcare. She conveyed that Italian institutions welcome initiatives by Pakistani universities to offer Italian language courses, which would improve employment prospects for graduates.

The Italian envoy affirmed that her country deeply cherishes its long-standing friendship with Pakistan, noting it was among the first nations with which the Italian Republic established diplomatic relations. She shared that in 2025, Italy issued visas to over fifteen thousand Pakistani students for postgraduate and PhD programmes at Italian universities.

The meeting also served to reaffirm the shared commitment to further deepen bilateral cooperation in education, migration, commerce, and people-to-people exchanges.

Mr. Gilani expressed appreciation for Italy”s backing in multilateral platforms and thanked the Italian government for hosting a significant Pakistani diaspora, which numbers more than three hundred thousand members. Both dignitaries acknowledged the more than 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations, which are rooted in enduring friendship and cooperation at important international fora.