Ambassador Jemal Beker, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, announced that work was being carried out to establish social, economic, and political cooperation between Ethiopia and Pakistan. The Ambassador held a discussion with representative of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Pakistan Tea Association (PTA).

During the discussion, the delegation from FPCCI and PTA revealed that Pakistani traders were keen to import tea and coffee from Ethiopia. According to Jemal Beker, Ethiopia will work to ensure that quality of tea and coffee exports from Ethiopia will not be compromised. Ethiopian Embassy in Pakistan is working with the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan to develop the trade relationship between the two countries.

In related news, Ambassador Jemal Beker announced that a business delegation from Pakistan would visit Ethiopia to explore import-export investment opportunities. The delegation, which will be headed by the Governor of Sindh Province of Pakistan, Kanran Khan Tessori, is set to visit Ethiopia between 16 and 20 January, 2023.

As an indication of the increased engagement between the two countries, Ethiopia established its Embassy in Pakistan earlier this year. Ethiopia and Pakistan have also agreed to strengthen their relationships in several sectors. In this regard, Ethiopian Airlines announced last week that it would operate direct flights between Addis Ababa and Karachi starting from December, 2022.

The current annual trade value between Pakistan and Ethiopia is estimated to be between USD 7 million and USD 8 million. The countries have set a target to increase this trade value to USD 300 million per year. Pakistan is also planning to open a bank branch in Ethiopia within the coming three months.

Source (including image): Fana BC