Ethiopia penned a trade agreement with Pakistan with a view to strengthening its trade relationship with the Asian country. Kassahun Gofe, State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, said, “I strongly believe that the signing of this trade agreement is a good platform to establish a joint trade committee meeting and consult on measures that ensure the development of the two countries and reduce trade barriers”.

The bilateral trade agreement allows for the establishment of a joint trade committee and business council. It also enables the two countries to join hands in the elimination of non-tariff barriers. According to Kassahun Gofe, Ethiopia will work towards ratifying the agreement within a short period of time.

Business ties between Ethiopia and Pakistan have been growing in the past years. As an indication of the increased engagement between the two countries, Ethiopia established its Embassy in Pakistan in 2022. Ethiopia and Pakistan have also agreed to strengthen their relationships in several sectors. In this regard, Ethiopian Airlines started operating direct flights between Addis Ababa and Karachi in December 2022.