ISLAMABAD: Pakistani traders have expressed interest in buying tea and coffee from Ethiopia at affordable rates to meet the huge demand for the two commodities.

However, connectivity, quality control mechanism and institutional linkages between the two countries needed improvement, noted members of a joint delegation of the Federation of the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Pakistan Tea Association in a meeting on Saturday with the ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan, Jemal Beker Abdula.

Speaking on the occasion, the ambassador said the two sides were making efforts to establish connectivity and institutional linkages between the two countries for social, economic and political cooperation was under way. He assured the delegates that there would be no compromise on the quality of tea and coffee due to Ethiopia’s “rigorous quality control”.

Confidence-building measures would also be taken for Pakistani traders to boost trade, the envoy said, adding that Ethiopia had surplus tea and coffee, which could be exported to Pakistan at affordable rates.

Envoy says Ethiopian Airlines to start operations in Karachi by start of next year

“Currently, Ethiopian tea is coming from other channels, but we are working on different agreements in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan to enable Pakistan and Ethiopia to boost their trade in diverse areas,” he said.

Mr Abdula said his government was opening up Ethiopia by taking legal, institutional and economic reforms that ensure security, ease of doing business and a supportive environment for foreign direct investment (FDI).

The ambassador also informed the delegates that Ethiopian Airlines would start its operations in Karachi by the beginning of the next year.

He said he had already announced the visit of an inclusive business delegation from Pakistan to Ethiopia to understand business dynamics there and establish business-to-business contacts.

He underscored that the main focus of Ethiopia’s embassy was economic diplomacy, investment, trade, tourism promotion, technological transfer and establishing institutional linkages between the two countries.

Both governments have been working on many agreements that would be instrumental in increasing political cooperation, economic engagement and people-to-people contacts through promoting tourism.

The envoy said although trade between the two countries was minimal and amounted to $78 million, “my target is to take it to $300 million by the end of 2023”.

“We have identified the products which will be exported to my country from Pakistan. Pakistani business community can contribute to the economic development by exporting rice, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, sports items and construction material to my country,” he said.

Moreover, he suggested that the government of Pakistan could import agricultural products like coffee, tea, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables from Ethiopia at affordable prices, which would eventually help it mitigate the growing demand for these edible items.

The envoy said his country was also closely working with Islamabad on climate change issues, which had recently brought one-third of Pakistan under water and led to hundreds of deaths and economic loss.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2022