ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Margherita Boniver said on Tuesday her country would share its expertise in artificial limbs technology with Pakistan as part of its assistance in rehabilitating victims of earthquake.

According to a Foreign Office statement the Italian deputy foreign minister, who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan, mentioned during her meeting with Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri here that Italy had developed special expertise in the area of artificial limbs and would endeavour to share it with Pakistan.

Ms Boniver observed that the international response towards rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the wake of what has been termed as “the worst disaster in the last hundred years” was not commensurate with the magnitude of tragedy and even the flash appeal for assistance made by the UN was not fully met.

She conveyed the Italian Government’s condolences on the colossal loss of life and property as a result of the quake. She observed that the catastrophe had disappeared from the international media screen after a week of the earthquake despite the fact that it was far more destructive compared to the Asian tsunami.

Earlier, Mr Kasuri briefed the visiting dignitary on the unprecedented devastation caused by the earthquake, the ongoing relief activities in the affected areas and the magnitude of reconstruction efforts required.

He expressed the hope that the international donor conference called by President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad on November 19 will help galvanize the international community and achieve its objectives regarding reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Mr Kasuri thanked the Italian deputy foreign minister for the generous relief assistance worth 10 million Euros provided by her Government and said he looked forward to continued Italian support.