ISLAMABAD, July 7: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, currently on an official visit to Italy, met Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini on Wednesday and discussed matters of mutual interest.

Mr Fini expressed his deep appreciation for the role Pakistani community residing in Italy was playing and said that the Pakistanis were one of the most disciplined and peace-loving communities living here.

Mr Kasuri later met Gustavo Selva, president of the foreign relation committee of the lower house of Italian parliament - Chamber of Deputies - and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including Afghanistan, India-Pakistan relations and bilateral matters.

Earlier, he had bilateral consultations with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini who also hosted a luncheon in his honour. Later in the evening, the leaders of the Pakistani community from different parts of Italy, including Milan, Naples, Balzano and Florence, assembled in Rome and hosted a dinner in honour of the foreign minister.

The community leader appreciated the efforts of the government of Pakistan in alleviating the problems faced by the Pakistani migrants community abroad. He also discussed ways and means to increase contacts, including trade relations, between Italy and Pakistan.

Mr Kasuri assured the Pakistani community of the government's full support and assistance for the Pakistani workers abroad and praised their contribution through remittances which had helped in improving the economy.

He congratulated the newly-elected four Pakistani councillors in Balzano and said that this will serve to further strengthen relations at the people-to-people level between the two countries.

The foreign minister also met Anotnio Marzano, Italy's Minister of Commerce and Industry, and discussed trade and investment opportunities between Italy and Pakistan. Speaking at Italian Institute of International Conciliation on 'Pakistan's Foreign Policy: Challenges and Response', he said the resolution of all issues between Pakistan and India, including Jammu and Kashmir, will ensure durable peace in South Asia.

The minister talked about recent developments in relations with India and the resumption of composite dialogue between the two countries aimed at addressing all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

This alone will lead to a durable peace in South Asia and enable both the countries to tackle problems of poverty in South Asia, he added. On Afghanistan, the minister said a peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan was vital to Pakistan's national security, economic and political interests.

He reiterated Pakistan's support to the Bonn peace process and efforts of President Karzai to bring peace and harmony in Afghanistan. Speaking on Pakistan's relations with European Union, the minister referred to the ratification of the Third Generation Agreement.

He said this agreement would institutionalize high-level cooperation with the European Union in a number of important areas, of political, economic, technological significance at a time when the European Union was increasing its role in all these fields. -APP