Historic visit of the Italian Carrier Strike Group to Karachi

(ANSA) - ROMA, 18 OTT - The Carrier Strike Group (Csg) of the Italian Navy, consisting of the aircraft carrier Cavour and the frigate Alpino, stopped over in Karachi, Pakistan, from 14 to 16 October 2024, as part of a tour of the Indo-Pacific region. This was made known by the Farnesina, emphasising that it was a historic visit, as the Cavour was the first aircraft carrier docked in the port of Karachi. The Csg's stop in Karachi signified 'not only Italy's growing naval commitment in the Indo-Pacific region but also the strengthening of bilateral relations with Pakistan'. Over the years, Italy and Pakistan have worked closely 'to promote international cooperation and safeguard maritime security interests in the region for lasting peace and cooperation'.
    Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Marilina Armellin received the Commander of the Csg, Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, and the crew of the Cavour and the Alpino together with Rear Admiral-designate Stefano Barbieri, representing the Italian Navy Chief of Staff, on 14 October. Also present at the welcome ceremony organised by the Pakistani Navy in the port of Karachi were the Italian Consul in Karachi, Danilo Giurdanella, the Italian Defence Attaché, Col Enrico Rosa, and officers from the Pakistani naval authorities.
    Aboard the Alpino, the 'Defence Industry Forum' was then held, organised by the Defence General Secretariat and the National Armaments Directorate, in collaboration with the Federation of Italian Aerospace, Defence and Security Companies (AIAD), to help "deepen the dialogue between the Italian and Pakistani defence industries, in order to strengthen the ongoing cooperation between the two countries". Armellin and Admiral Barbieri held high-level meetings with the Pakistani Navy and met with the Commander of the Pakistani Fleet (Compak), the Commander of Karachi (Comkar) and other officers to reiterate Italy's commitment to strengthening bilateral Italy-Pakistan relations, even beyond military cooperation, in the diplomatic, economic and technological sectors. Armellin, together with Rear Admiral Ciappina, then held a well-attended press conference on board the Cavour with Pakistani journalists and media representatives of the Pakistani Navy.
    On 15 October, Armellin, Giurdanella, Barbieri, and a delegation from the Italian defence industry also visited the Karachi Naval and Engineering Shipyard, meeting the CEO, Rear Admiral Salman Ilyas. On the occasion, 'issues of mutual interest and prospects for future cooperation with the shipyard' were discussed. Also present were representatives of the Italian defence industry Leonardo, Elettronica, Mbda and Fincantieri. Before leaving for Islamabad, on 16 October Armellin saw the Prime Minister of Sindh Province, Syed Murad Ali Shah, with whom he also discussed potential cooperation with Italian companies in the field of infrastructure and development projects in Sindh.