KARACHI: Starting May 9 (Tuesday), Ethiopian Airlines is set to resume operations in Pakistan after a 25-year hiatus. At a press briefing held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan, Jemal Beker Abdulla, along with Honorary Consul General Ibrahim Khalid Tawab, announced that a 60-member high-level delegation, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of State and Minister of Technology, will arrive in Karachi on the inaugural flight at 0500 hours on Tuesday (May 9).
Ambassador Abdulla highlighted that the arrival of the high-level delegation on the inaugural flight demonstrates Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Pakistan and that the direct connectivity between the two countries will play a vital role in strengthening the mutual relations.
Currently, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Ethiopia stands at around $78 million, which the two countries aim to increase to $200 million by year-end.
To achieve this, they signed a bilateral trade agreement in February and also inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).
Abdulla expressed his appreciation for the support of CM Sindh, stating that he had a productive meeting with CM Murad Ali Shah at CM House to discuss the arrangements for the arrival of the high-level delegation from Ethiopia to Karachi and their subsequent political and economic engagements in Karachi.
He also mentioned that the Ethiopian embassy will commence operations by May 10, 2023.
The direct connectivity between Ethiopia and Pakistan will benefit the Pakistani business community by providing them access to Ethiopia and the entire African continent, as Ethiopian Airlines offers connectivity to 160 destinations with the best cargo service at economical fares.
Furthermore, the airline plans to expand its wings to Lahore and Islamabad in the second phase, and they are working closely with Pakistani authorities, including the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), to explore business opportunities. According to Jemal, the Pakistani business community will have direct access to Ethiopia’s market of over 120 million population, with vast opportunities in the pharmaceutical, textile, surgical equipment, and technology sectors.
Honorary Consul General Ibrahim Khalid Tawab said Ethiopian Airlines will operate four weekly flights to Karachi from Addis Ababa.
Talking about untapped business opportunities for Pakistani business people, he said a 70-member delegation of Pakistani business people had recently visited Addis Ababa, with 35 members already in the transactional phase. The President of KPC, Saeed Sarbazi and the Secretary of KPC, Shoaib Ahmed were also present at the press briefing.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023