ISLAMBAD: Ambassador of Ethiopia Jemal Beker Abdula on Friday said high-level official and business delegations from his country were arriving in Pakistan on May 9 to advance bilateral and multilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

“The delegations will reach Pakistan on a maiden Ethiopian Airlines flight, which is starting operations from Jinnah International Airport Karachi, where celebrations will be held to welcome high officials.

“The launch of Ethiopian Airlines’ flights from Karachi to Addis Ababa was long in the making. It will open the gates for Pakistanis into Africa as well as Europe,” the envoy said.

Speaking at a news conference that coincided with Patriots’ Victory Day in Ethiopia, he said the 60-member delegation includes representatives of five major ministries, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Regional Integration, Ministry of Innovation Technology as well as high officials of the Investment Commission of Ethiopia and Industrial Park Development Corporation.

From the business side, he said it would represent multiple economic sectors of Ethiopia including agriculture and agro processing, pharmaceutical, textile, surgical equipment, sports, tourism, mining and ICT.

The ambassador said the official delegation would sign a memorandum of understanding with their counterparts in Pakistan in technology, tourism and other fields.

Announcing the official opening of the Ethiopian embassy in Islamabad, the envoy said trade agreements would also be signed between the business communities of both countries to boost the trade volume, which was minimal to this day.

He said two business forums were also being organised in Karachi and Islamabad to bolster bilateral trade by strengthening trade and commerce ties between the two countries.

He urged the Pakistani business community to increase bilateral trade between the two countries since ongoing development in Ethiopia’s diverse economic sectors had really impressed them during their recent visit to the capital city Addis Ababa.

Likewise, the business community of Ethiopia also wants to develop business and trade ties with their counterparts in the country.

Giving details about the operations of Ethiopian airlines, the ambassador said that the Pan African service would fly four days a week to Addis Ababa.

The only other destination Ethiopian airlines connected to the region was India. “The Ethiopian airlines was one of the instruments to connect the two countries that have enjoyed cordial relations for many years, establish people to people, institutional and business linkages,” Jemal Beker told journalists.

On the occasion, the ambassador also congratulated the people of Ethiopia on Patriots’ Victory Day which was being observed in his country to honour the veterans of resistance movement against Italy.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2023