Report : Tazeen Akhtar | Camera : Raja Ghulam Farid
The Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan Dr. Oumer Hussien OBA is positive on the upward trend in the development of trade and economic cooperation and shared good news for Pakistani travelers to his country that soon Ethiopian Airlines will be operating 7 flights between the two countries.
Talking about 7, it would be relevant and interesting for the readers that you will be 7 years younger than your original age if you are in Ethiopia. That is thanks to their own calendar that has a year of 13 months.
The ambassador interacted with a noble gathering in his keynote address to the participants of English Speaking Union Islamabad. The meeting was arranged at the residence of President ESU Pakistan Mr. Khalid Malik that was attended by former ambassadors , bureaucrats, civil society and media persons.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan also graced the event with his presence. Brigadier R Sajjad mastered the event.
Ethiopia is a country whose airline has opened the way for Pakistanis to Africa with direct connectivity. Ethiopia started its first direct flight between Addis Ababa and Karachi. Now the next destination will be Lahore and both mega cities of Pakistan will have more than three flights eash.
Ethiopian Airlines serves over 140 international destinations across 85 countries and more than 25 domestic locations from its hub at Addis Ababa International Airport . The airline offers extensive global connectivity, with new routes launched to cities like Lyon, France, and additional expansions across Asia and the Middle East
To some questions from this scribe , the Ambassador said , Ethiopia is an advocate of peace and we urge upon all parties in conflicts around our country to have dialogue and maintain peace and stability, whether it is about Sudan or Somaliland.
H.E said conflicts in the world are a normal phenomenon. What we prefer is dialogue and peace. It is at the top of our agenda in Ethiopia. Pakistan is standing with Ethiopia for peace , security and resolution of conflicts. Conflicts, he said, stop growth. The solution of the conflicts should be local. Senior officials at our Foreign Ministry are working on it. Conflicts of Africa should be solved by Africa with no foreign intervention. We believe in dialogue and not in the gun.
Here it is worth noting that only a couple of days before this forum, Ambassador Sudan at a seminar on Africa Day at ISSI said, UAE and some African capitals are supporting the rebels in his country.
He mentioned Pakistan’s Look Africa and Engage Africa policy where there is not just a shift in diplomatic orientation but an acknowledgement of shared economic destinies are reflected. He shed light on the competitive advantages that Ethiopia has. The first one, he said, is a young population of 70 % like Pakistan has 65%. This population on both sides can deliver good results for bilateral cooperation.
Second is the best tech service in Ethiopia. Airline is number one in Africa and among the best in the world. This airline connected Karachi with Africa and now , with our joint efforts alongwith Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan, we are expanding this connectivity to Lahore as well and that within next one month.
He said we see warmth and vibrance of Pakistani people in Ethiopia. The geography divides us but history speaks about our shared destiny. Ethiopia Pakistan diplomatic engagement is most seen as a modern phenomenon that is not actually.
Pakistani leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited Ethiopia in 1973. Our relations are deep rooted and should be attributed to the visionary leadership of Mr. Bhutto. This is the cornerstone of our relations and modern architecture stands on this basis today.
He said for too long our region had been painted narrowly by international media but that story is changing now. Ethiopia is going through a great social economic transformation.
Under the current reformist government , we have opened up our markets. Our civil infrastructure has positioned our service as one of the first fastest growing economies for decades.
Ethiopia is a political capital of Africa with the headquarters of the African Union and third largest hub in the world in the diplomatic world, the entry point to the market of 1.6 billion people of the continent with free trade.
The airline is earning $12 billion revenue with a capacity of 130 million passengers a year. This may change the scenario even what we are counting here.
Third area of cooperation is energy which is the best for any industry. Our energy is the cheapest in the world and 98 % of our energy is green hydro.
Fourth area , ambassador mentioned , is Industrial cooperation with more than 20 Industrial zones where foreign investment is encouraged with remarkable concessions.
Fifth is one stop service. Ethiopian Investment Commission provides facilities to all who intend to trade with or invest in Ethiopia. The investor needs not visit different departments. The Ambassador shared the details of policy support as the tax holiday for additional products which range from 4 years to 6 years.
He said , we are doing our work on the ground and we invite the people to come and see with your own eyes. Responding to a question about the perception about Ethiopia, the Ambassador answered , we tell the people , do not trust on what we tell you, visit our country and see with your eyes.
” Oil seeds, coffee beans and many other products can be purchased from Ethiopia. Pakistan can export Pharma , health care packages , IT services and other items, he concluded.
