Pakistan, Ethiopia agree to expand engagement

Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Ethiopian Ambassador Dr Oumer Hussein Oba held a detailed meeting to explore new avenues for strengthening bilateral trade and industrial collaboration, with a particular focus on expanding engagement across African markets, according to a statement issued on Monday. The commerce minister highlighted that recent bilateral interactions have created a "fresh foundation" to jointly explore broader opportunities across Africa. He proposed organising a multi-country business forum in Islamabad, inviting East African nations to witness Pakistan's industrial capabilities firsthand, stressing that direct exposure would unlock new trade and investment partnerships. The minister specifically emphasised strong potential for cooperation in agriculture, engineering industries and tractors. A key area of discussion was the cosmetics and personal care industry, where the minister noted significant growth in Pakistan over the past four to five years. He proposed joint ventures between Pakistani and Ethiopian firms in cosmetics and perfumes to tap into rising consumer demand. On trade logistics, the minister stressed the importance of improving connectivity and reducing reliance on third-country transshipment hubs such as Jebel Ali Port. He proposed enhancing direct maritime links through feeder vessels to African ports, which could significantly reduce transit time from over 10-12 days to just 2-3 days. He further highlighted Karachi as a gateway for African exports to Central Asia through regional maritime corridors including Djibouti Port. The ambassador informed the minister that a single country exhibition of Ethiopia is planned to be held in Islamabad by the end of this year. He also shared that Ethiopian Airlines is planning to start direct flights to Lahore. Dr Oba also called for deeper cooperation in education, skills and institutional development.