Chairman Senate Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani met with Ethiopia’s Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula at Parliament House in Islamabad to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, and enhancing cooperation on regional and global issues.
During the meeting, both sides held in-depth discussions on expanding economic ties, investment opportunities, and environmental cooperation. Highlighting the historical relationship between Pakistan and Ethiopia, Chairman Senate Gilani welcomed the opening of Ethiopia’s embassy in Islamabad and the launch of direct Ethiopian Airlines flights from Karachi to Addis Ababa, calling these developments significant milestones in deepening bilateral ties. He also stressed the need to finalize an air services agreement to unlock new avenues for trade and investment.
Gilani thanked Ethiopia for supporting Pakistan’s candidature for the United Nations Security Council non-permanent seat for 2025-26 and noted that close cooperation at regional and international forums has always helped strengthen the relationship between the two nations.
Emphasizing the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, he referred to the activities of the Pakistan–Ethiopia Parliamentary Friendship Group and called for greater exchanges between parliamentary delegations and strengthening people-to-people connections. He reaffirmed that economic diplomacy remains a key pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy and called for more efforts to diversify bilateral trade.
Gilani highlighted that Pakistan’s globally recognized products—including high-quality rice, surgical and medical instruments, pharmaceuticals, and FIFA-standard footballs—present strong sectors for increased Ethiopian imports, with additional collaboration possible in information technology, science, education, and vocational training.
On environmental cooperation, he praised Ethiopia’s Green Dialogue initiative and emphasized the need for joint action to ensure a sustainable and eco-friendly future. Marking their commitment, the Chairman Senate, senators, and the Ethiopian envoy planted a tree in the Parliament House’s Friendship Garden as part of a tree planting drive.
At the close of the talks, Chairman Senate Gilani invited Ethiopia’s parliamentary leadership to participate in the upcoming Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference, encouraging collective strategies to face shared challenges.
The meeting was attended by Senator Sherry Rehman, Senator Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui, Syed Ali Zafar, and Chairman Senate’s advisor Ms. Misbah Khar. Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula endorsed the Chairman Senate’s views, commending his efforts to elevate Pakistan’s international relations and pledged Ethiopia’s continued cooperation for bolstering friendly ties between the two countries.
