ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Ethiopia have made progress on a proposed visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports, as the two countries seek to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
The development was discussed during a meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Hussain Oba, according to details shared following the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Rana Ehsan Afzal, Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul and other senior officials.
During the discussion, Jam Kamal Khan emphasized the need to improve access for Pakistani pharmaceutical companies to the Ethiopian market and remove obstacles delaying the registration of medicines.
He said Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry had significant potential to expand exports to African markets and called for measures to facilitate greater trade opportunities for local manufacturers.
The Ethiopian ambassador informed the meeting that he had raised pending medicine registration cases with the relevant authorities. Ethiopian officials, he said, had assured him that the outstanding issues would be addressed.
Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul stressed the importance of arranging an early visit by an Ethiopian technical team to Pakistan. The team would assess and inspect Pakistani pharmaceutical companies to facilitate market access and cooperation between the two countries.
Both sides agreed to work towards removing trade barriers, strengthening bilateral ties and maintaining closer coordination between relevant institutions.
The meeting also discussed Ethiopia’s ongoing process of accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In addition, officials reviewed progress on the proposed visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders.
