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ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan, Andreas Ferrarese has said that his government will establish a training institute to promote the gems and jewellery and gemstone industry in Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
During a meeting with Federation Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Chairman, Qurban Ali, Andreas Ferrarese said in this regard agreements would be completed in the next few days.
On the occasion, the FPCCI chairman said that the move would be a milestone in the development of the gems and jewellery industry in GB and also help achieve the objective of employment generation in the region.
He informed that after Burma, Hunza is the only other region in the world that produces blood-red rubies; some of the finest emeralds in the world are mined in the picturesque valley of Swat, while high-quality aquamarine can be found in Shigar, Chitral, Kaghan and also Neelam Valley of Azad Kashmir.
Likewise, fluorite is found in Chitral, Dir, Hunza, and Balochistan, with the largest deposits occurring in the Northern part of the Koh-e-Mardan range of Kalat.
The senior business leader said that CPEC related GB Special Economic Zones (SEZ) would increase business and industrial cooperation between the business sectors of Italy and Pakistan. He also suggested that Italian investors and businessmen start Joint Ventures (JVs) on mining with local industrialists.
It may be noted here that Pakistan has an export potential worth $32 billion annually in the latent gemstones industry, while Precious stones are explored from almost inaccessible territories of the mountainous regions. The most extensive ruby deposits in Pakistan are located in the Hunza valley.
