By Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: The National Day of Italy was celebrated by the Consulate of Italy on Friday , 7th June, 2024 in Karachi at Avari Towers Hotel. Honorable Governor Sindh Mr. Muhammad Kamran Khan Tessori, Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Hon. Ms. Faryal Talpur, Hon. Agha Siraj Durrani, Hon. Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Minister for Education Sindh, Sector Commander NI, Rear Admiral Sohail Arshad, COMLOG, Commodore Muhammad Azeem Abbasi, Sector Commander NI, Rear Admiral Salman Ilyas, MD Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works and members of Sindh Provincial Assembly Mr. Sohail Anwar Sial and Mr. Qasim Soomro also attended the ceremony.
To create an exclusive Italian evening- the venue was curated to display high end Italian excellence with product displays from Natuzzi Italia, Nova color Pakistan, S. Abdullah Homes, Versace by Eleganz Luxury, the display space had been beautifully curated by M/S Axis Design.
CG Itay in Karachi, Mr. Danilo Giurdanella in his welcome remarks expressed his gratitude to all the distinguished guests present at the ceremony and highlighted the important aspects of strong and friendly cooperation between Italy and Pakistan in Economic, Cultural and Social fields.
Italy is the second biggest export market for Pakistan in EU and in terms of remittances. The trade with Italy has risen significantly according to SBP statistics. Italy plays an important role being the host of largest Pakistani community in Europe after UK.
The Consulate of Italy has been also working to promote interfaith harmony in the fight against Islamophobia and to promote inter-religious dialogue. It is encouraging to see that also the Federal Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Naqvi recently visited Rome and had a meeting with the Pope.
The Consul General also congratulated the government of Pakistan on being elected in the UN Security Council as representative for the Asia Pacific region.
Around 700 students from Sindh and Baluchistan only have gone to Italy to pursue higher studies. This will help Pakistan to overcome the lacking that it faces in technical expertise.
The Consulate is also working closely with Public sector universities in Sindh to establish cooperation with similar counterpart institutions in Italy. In particular, the Consulate of Italy in Karachi has established successful partnerships with University of Karachi, NED University and Institute of Business Administration in Karachi and in Sukkur that have allowed the increase in the influx of Pakistani students to Italy.
At the occasion of the National Day of Italy Bella Italia -Italian Food Festival was also organized from 4-9 June for the people of Karachi. The week aims to celebrate Italian culinary heritage and gastronomical excellence and benefits of Mediterranean diet. Chef Vincenzo de Liso is in Karachi and is hosting the Italian Food Festival at Avari.
In order to promote Italian food philosophy and gastronomical excellence amasterclass for the Ho.Re.Ca segment was also organized where there was live cooking demonstration of traditional recipes of Italy from Naples. Chef Vincenzo De Liso
Originating from the vibrant culinary traditions of Naples showcased his culinary innovation and creativity during the master class.
