Lt General Luciano Portolano, Secretary General of Defence and National Armaments Director Italy, called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ here on Thursday, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.

According to ISPRĀ , during the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including the recent developments in Afghanistan and with particular reference to enhanced military cooperation in the field of training and counter-terrorism domains were discussed.

Speaking on the occasion, COAS said that Pakistan values Italyā€™s role in global and regional affairs and look forward to enhance bilateral relationship. COAS also emphasized the urgency for swiftly devising an institutional mechanism for channeling humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in order to avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

ā€œPeace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan,ā€ he asserted.

The ISPR said that the visiting dignitary acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and vowed to enhance cooperation in various fields.

He also appreciated Pakistanā€™s role in the Afghan situation, special efforts for border management and role in regional stability.