HE. Jemal Beker Abdula, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Thursday and held detailed discussions with its leadership on enhancing cooperation between the trade bodies of the two countries.
On arrival at ICCI, the Ambassador was warmly welcomed by the Islamabad Chamber President H.E. Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari and other functionaries of the chamber.
The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest, including necessary initiatives to promote trade and business links between the two countries.
On the occasion, the Ambassador highlighted the key role played by Ethiopia in the “Look Africa and Engage Africa” policy by launching Ethiopian Airlines in Karachi.
“Ethiopian Airlines is getting an overwhelming response in Pakistan and we are now working to expand its operations to Islamabad and Lahore as well,” the Ambassador noted.
He said steps are being taken to strengthen people-to-people and business-to-business relations between the two countries.
“Over the past year and a half, we have taken over a 75-member trade delegation to Ethiopia and facilitated the arrival of a 50-member trade delegation from Ethiopia to Pakistan,” he said, adding that the main pillar of the Ethiopian embassy’s efforts was economic diplomacy, which would eventually connect the people of the two countries at the local level.
He also announced that he will take another trade delegation to Ethiopia this May. H. E. Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari appreciated the Ambassador’s role in bringing the people of the two nations together and called for joint efforts to further strengthen trade ties between the two countries.
He assured the ambassador of maximum support in mobilizing another trade delegation to Ethiopia this year.
