By Naveed Meraj and Shahid Qureshi
ISLAMABAD: Ethiopia is interested for inclusion in the CPEC for investment as it is very keen to enhance its all-encompassing relationship with Pakistan.
This was stated by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia Jemal Beker Abdula in Pakistan, while visiting WE News office. A candid person in speech and a friend of Pakistan reflected more, saying like Pakistan China Economic Corridor (CPEC), in Africa Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) is underway, and Port Sudan-Ethiopia Railway Connectivity.
“Gwadar, Djibouti and Addis Ababa are almost in same line of connectivity and then railways are linking further”, stated Ambassador Jemal Beker Abdula.
A giant step was taken recently, when direct flights to Addis Ababa from Karachi was started by Ethiopian Airlines, which reduced indirect travel time from 20 hours to just 4 hours.
By this short time flight from Karachi to Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia, received almost a big delegation of 100-businessmen from Pakistan, which will double this year with a full flight, with its Ambassador from Pakistan. After that Pakistani entrepreneur has also shown keen interest in African market because by investing in Ethiopia, one can access 1.4 billion of 50 states’ large market of African content.
The growing relations and warmth among the two nations have also impact on other aspect of the connectivity, as 150,000 Ethiopian are studying now in Pakistan and number from both sides are increasing day by day.
The enhancing connectivity with the sole efforts of the current very active Ambassador, both sides have strengthened a sense up to a level where both sides are feeling to be each other’s neighbours.
Though a long way to go, Pakistan can export, pharma products, surgical goods, textile, sports goods, and also invest in tourism and similar sectors. Scholarships are being offered to enhance people to people contact.
Earlier the linkage between Pakistan and Africa were lower, hardly any direct flight and as Pakistan adopted outlook towards Africa Ethiopia was active to reciprocate these efforts in linkage.
The ambassador also mentioned about masterpiece book namely “Medemer Generation”, authored by the visionary Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, who is globally popular and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. He is striving to leave a legacy for the generations to come.
The book carries an idea, philosophy, and framework for striving to build a nation through an intermix of all resources.
Pak-Ethiopia Trade
Pak-Ethiopia Trade is now $ 80 million and is growing rapidly, with Pakistan exports edible items like rice, tents, sails, imports tea, dried legumes, cotton yarn and imports coffee and tea.
The main products imported from Ethiopia to Pakistan are Dried Legumes ($9.27M), Tea ($483k), and Non-Retail Pure Cotton Yarn ($331k).
During the last 26 years, the imports from Ethiopia to Pakistan have increased at an annualized rate of 19.5%, from $103k in 1995 to $10.7 million by 2021.
