Ethiopia, Pakistan Discuss Maritime Cooperation

Addis Ababa February 29/2024 (ENA) Ethiopia and Pakistan have expressed keenness to cooperate in the spheres of maritime and regional security.

Ethiopian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan, Jemal Beker, discussed with Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf in Islamabad.
 

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the matters of mutual interests including bilateral cooperation in the area of maritime and regional security.
 
On the occasion, Ambassador Jemal briefed the Naval Chief on the major role being played by Ethiopia in promoting pan-Africanism in the region to foster the spirit of brotherhood, fraternity and collaboration among the people of Africa.
 
The Ambassador also informed the Naval Chief about the successful conduct of the 37th African Union (AU) Summit by the government of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa which witnessed the presence of more than 49 heads of state from African countries and senior officials of international organizations.
 
In its press release sent to ENA, the Ethiopian Embassy in Islamabad said that Ambassador Jemal highlighted the role of Ethiopia in ensuring regional security by immensely contributing to the fight against terrorism.
 
The regional integration initiatives by Ethiopia including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), port diversification and energy export to the neighboring countries also came under discussion during the meeting.
 
Moreover, the ambassador mentioned that Ethiopia had recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland that completely aligned with the international rules.
 
Jemal added Ethiopia had been striving to connect the whole region by sharing its resources with brotherly countries in order to ensure just and equitable development across the region.
 
On his part, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf acknowledged the role played by Ethiopia in regional integration through multiple initiatives.
 
He congratulated the Government of Ethiopia on holding the 37th  AU summit successfully.
 
The Naval Chief also acknowledged the historical significance of Ethiopia as well as the great importance attached by the government of Pakistan to its bilateral relations with an heir of one of the oldest civilizations.
 
He said both the countries were heirs of the centuries’ old civilizations and had huge potential for bilateral cooperation including the area of maritime.