ISLAMABAD: Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Stefano Pontecorvo Wednesday said there was growing interest among Italian business community to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan, specially in view of the new possibilities opening up under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He was talking to Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz who called on him here along with Roberto Puddu, Commercial Counsellor of the Italian Embassy.

Sartaj Aziz on the occasion expressed his satisfaction at the recent 46 per cent increase in bilateral trade between the two countries from $1.3 billion in 2015-16 to $2 billion in 2016-17.

Stefano said the heads of many large Italian companies had visited Pakistan in recent months to meet officials and potential business partners specially in fields such as natural gas, liquefied natural gas, automotive industry, agricultural machinery, textile machinery and the construction sector.

The ambassador invited the Deputy Chairman to visit Italy at a mutually convenient time to further strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.