ISLAMABAD: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and Pakistan on Wednesday discussed potential avenues for enhancing people-to-people relations, particularly through the exchange of youth leaders.
The meeting took place between Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, Special Envoy and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to Pakistan, and Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Youth Programme.
Both parties deliberated on mutual interests, focusing on bilateral collaboration to empower youth by providing training, education, and skills in modern technologies.
Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker emphasized that both countries have a youthful population that must be equipped with modern skills, including Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, to develop an effective workforce and boost productivity for faster economic growth. He stressed the importance of sharing experiences and best practices to empower the youth in both nations.
The Ambassador informed the Chairman of the Youth Programme about Ethiopia’s home-grown Economic Reforms 2.0, which followed the success of the first phase aimed at correcting macroeconomic imbalances, increasing productivity, and attracting foreign direct investment.
He highlighted the significant potential for IT services in Africa and invited Pakistani entrepreneurs to participate in the Single Country Exhibition scheduled for January 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ambassador Dr. Jemal noted Ethiopia’s pivotal role in Pakistan’s “Look Africa” and “Engage Africa” policies, particularly with the launch of Ethiopian Airlines operations in Karachi, which has greatly enhanced people-to-people and business relations.
Chairman Rana Mashhood acknowledged the importance of Ethiopian Airlines in connecting Pakistan with the African continent, which has a population of over 1.4 billion.
He expressed admiration for Ethiopia’s socio-economic development under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed and conveyed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Ethiopia, particularly in empowering the youth of both nations.
