ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Rome have announced a new agreement that will eliminate visa requirements for individuals holding diplomatic passports signaling a strengthening of bilateral ties.
The agreement was formalized during a ceremony at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy, Ali Javed, and Italy’s Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia.
Prior to signing, both officials engaged in discussions to review the extensive bilateral relationship and cooperation at international platforms such as the United Nations and the European Union. The two sides expressed their mutual satisfaction with the progress of strategic collaboration, emphasizing that this new visa waiver reflects mutual trust and friendship, and will ease diplomatic exchanges.
Pakistan and Italy currently have a comprehensive partnership, including 21 memorandums of understanding signed with universities and research institutions, and 15 agreements covering diverse sectors such as tourism, culture, science and technology, sports, higher defense studies, and anti-drug efforts.
Historical agreements include a defense cooperation pact from 2009, a Strategic Engagement Plan established in 2013, a Joint Economic Commission formed in 2005, along with treaties on investment protection (1997), dual citizenship (1983), and extradition (1972). Most recently, the two nations signed a memorandum on labor mobility in Islamabad on May 7, 2025, which is Pakistan’s first labor accord with a European country, permitting Pakistani workers to compete for 10,500 jobs in Italy.
During the discussions, Ambassador Javed extended an invitation from Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary for Ambassador Guariglia to visit Pakistan for the seventh round of Bilateral Political Consultations, expected to take place in late 2026. Additionally, he expressed Pakistan’s interest in inaugurating Italy’s new embassy building in Islamabad, described as Italy’s largest diplomatic mission abroad, highlighting the importance of their diplomatic partnership.
