Message of the Italian Consul in Karachi, Mr. Danilo Giurdanella.

I t gives me great pleasure to address the readers again on the National Day of the Italian Republic. In an increasingly changeable and complex global scenario, the principles and values that were laid down by the founding fathers of our Republic, democracy, equality for all, and the rule of law are - I believe - the only possible answer to the international and domestic crisis we are facing around the World. Our initiatives in Karachi, Sindh, and Baluchistan have always been guided by these polar stars, being fully convinced of the importance of international cooperation for all peace-loving Nations and that particularly Pakistan stands to gain by more cooperation with Italy and Italy has much to learn from Pakistan and its generous and industrious people.

The past year has also been a prodigious and enriching experience for me as we undertook various initiatives, mainly in educational, social, and commercial fields, to further fuel the bilateral relations between the two countries and the two peoples. I wish to remind here that the Pakistani diaspora in Italy has played a fundamental role in strengthening the ties between the two Nations and the smaller but equally engaged Italian community in Pakistan. On the educational side, the Italian Consulate in Karachi has been proactively engaged with reputable universities in Sindh to facilitate creating linkages with their counterparts in Italy. Our aim is to establish lasting bonds between academic institutions of Italy and Pakistan in all disciplines and faculties for exchange programs and joint research and to establish a three-party relationship with Italian and Pakistani businesses involved or interested in bilateral economic cooperation as a way to fight unemployment in Pakistan and contribute to Italy's workers' shortage in certain fields.

This year, we will continue to bring more scholars, civil society, and academicians to visit Sindh and create linkages between the two countries for years to come. We believe education plays a pivotal role in building sustainable, inclusive, and resilient societies and is one of the main goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Another important project remains the cooperation between the Sindh Ministry of Culture and the University of Milan regarding the significant historical site of Banbhore, with the will to further strengthen tourism in Sindh. Regarding social activities, the Italian Consulate, with the support of Italian NGOs, has...