Around 100 Pakistani business leaders from different sectors including textile garments automobile, chemical power, light-engineering, oil and gas, financial business, IT & Telecom etc have also reached Rome to attend the conference and to have business meetings with their Italian counterparts.
Dr Hafeez Shaikh will inform the Italian investors of the favourable investment climate and ample opportunities available in various sectors in Pakistan.
Governor State Bank, Dr Ishrat Hussain, Chairman BoI, Waseem Haqqie and Secretary Commerce, Tasneem Noorani will also speak on the occasion, says BoI press release.
Pakistan enjoys cordial relations with Italy since 1943 and high-level visits between the two countries are frequently exchanged.
Pakistan's bilateral trade with Italy has increased substantially during the last few years. Today, Italy is one of the ten-leading trade partners of Pakistan. It is our third largest buyer in Europe and 14th largest source of imports.
The country's exports to Italy during July 2003 to May 2004 totalled $404 million whereas the imports during the corresponding period were worth $300 million.
Italian companies have been involved in building large Hydro Power Projects in Pakistan including Tarbela Dam and Ghazi Barotha.
Italian investments in Pakistan have been primarily in automobile, oil and gas, airline business, Information Technology (IT), pharmaceutical, textile and transportation sectors.
Pakistan has vast potential to attract Italian investment since we have made long strides in the areas of economic progress and attractive incentives are being offered to foreign investors.