ISLAMABAD    -    Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan-Italy rela­tions were marked by growing bilater­al cooperation as well as commonality of views on a whole range of regional and global issues. PM Shehbaz Sharif was talking to the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan, Andreas Ferrarese, who called on him in Islamabad on Tues­day. The prime minister termed Italy a close friend of Pakistan and a reliable partner, both bilaterally and in the EU context. Appreciating Italy’s support in the context of EU’s preferential trading GSP Plus scheme, the prime minister stressed the need to further harness the existing potential to enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries. The prime minister stated that Pakistan would be particu­larly interested in collaborations in the renewable energy sector in which Italy has made remarkable progress. The prime minister also highlighted the im­mense cooperation that Pakistan con­tinued to extend to the international community in the wake of the situation in Afghanistan, particularly since Au­gust last year. The Italian ambassadors thanked the prime minister for receiv­ing him and expressed his resolve to further increase and diversify the ex­isting ties between Pakistan and Italy.