The Ambassador of Pakistan to Italy, Ali Javed, hosted a significant meeting in Rome with Flavio Marabelli, Hon’ble President of the Italian Marble Association, and Bilal Khan, Chairman of the All Pakistan Marble Industries Association (APMIA). The discussion was further enriched by the participation of Khakwani, CEO of the Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC), and Shakeel Munir, former President of APMIA.
Ambassador Javed conveyed deep appreciation for the high-level support extended toward the establishment of the Pak-Italy Stone Center, originating from the offices of the Advisor to the Prime Minister, Hon’ble Dr. Syed Tauqir Shah, and the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Industries & Production, Hon’ble Haroon Akhtar Khan.
The Ambassador praised the constructive momentum built through a series of engagements—beginning with the 25 September 2025 meeting organized by the Embassy’s Trade and Investment Counsellor (TIC) on the sidelines of the Italian Marble Fair in Verona, followed by detailed interactions between the Embassy and Pakistan’s Ministry of Industries on 15 October 2025, chaired by SAPM Haroon Akhtar Khan, and culminating in consultations with the Chairman of APMIA on 5 November 2025.
He emphasized the shared determination of both governments and their respective marble associations to establish the mutually complementary Pak-Italy Stone Center at Marble City Risalpur. CEO PASDEC confirmed that the land and essential infrastructure required for the project are already available and committed.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Marabelli underscored the strong political will within Italy to support the establishment of this institute. He commended Pakistan’s vast and high-quality marble reserves and reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to upgrading Pakistan’s mining, production, and finishing capabilities through state-of-the-art Italian machinery and technology. The goal, he noted, is to enable Pakistan to produce value-added marble products with a strong competitive edge in global markets.
Mr. Marabelli further regarded Pakistani marble as “the best in the world” and announced that a scouting mission, led by the President of the Italian Marble Training Institute, will visit Pakistan in February 2026. The mission will conduct a comprehensive technical evaluation of the proposed institute’s needs,.inspect mines and quarries, and develop a detailed strategy for Training of Trainers as well as promoting exchanges among miners, exporters, and importers.
The 75-minute G2B interaction was organized by TIC Yasir Hussain Khokhar. The meeting builds on a history of successful bilateral industrial cooperation: Pakistan and Italy have already established Centers for Textiles and Footwear—launched in Faisalabad and Lahore in 2020—which continue to serve as important success stories of technological collaboration and skills development.
Source: mofa.gov.pk
