Pakistan to advance its relations with Africa including Ethiopia: Solangi

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By Shabbir Hussain

ISLAMABAD, Dec 17 (Alliance News): Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi has said that Pakistan wants to further strengthen diplomatic, political, parliamentary, and trade relations with all countries in Africa, including Ethiopia.

In a meeting with Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan Jemal Beker Abdula, the minister said engaging Africa was a crucial component of Pakistan’s foreign policy. It was the priority of the government of Pakistan to further strengthen its trade relations with African nations through economic diplomacy, he added.

The minister said Pakistan and Ethiopia had long-standing brotherly relations steeped in shared history and mutual interest. The media was imperative for access to information, he said while underscoring the need for strengthening media cooperation between Pakistan and Ethiopia.

Solangi stressed the exchange of media delegations between the two countries that would eventually enable the journalist communities of Pakistan and Ethiopia to learn from each other’s experiences.

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He recalled the visit of over 70 Pakistani businessmen to Ethiopia in March and the trip of an Ethiopian delegation to Pakistan this year. There was also a need to arrange media and cultural delegations between the two countries, he added.

Ambassador Jamal Baker, during the meeting, expressed his commitment to strengthening relations between both countries, emphasizing the importance of advancing bilateral relations. He said the establishment of institutional linkages between Pakistan and African countries was essential for reaping the benefits of the Engage Africa Policy.

Ethiopia, Pakistan Discuss Bilateral Cooperation in Media Sector

H.E. Jemal Beker Abdula, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan called on H.E. Murtaza Solangi, Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, here on Friday at his office in Islamabad.

Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest including bilateral cooperation in the areas of information and broadcasting between the two countries.

H.E. Ambassador Jemal Beker Abdula expressed keen interest in initiating the process for collaboration between the state broadcasters of the two countries to exchange information and promote culture and tourism of Ethiopia and Pakistan.

He underlined the need for strong collaboration between the two countries to deal with hybrid war by spreading accurate and authentic information and narration. “We must work together to promote the true image of both the countries by presenting culture and tourism through films, documentaries and short videos in each other’s country.”

The ambassador said media was not only thriving in his country but also adopting to the modern trends such as digitization of the sector.

Ambassador Jemal Beker Abdula says Ethiopia was a gateway to Africa and could play a key role in connecting Pakistan with Africa.

On the other hand, the minister lauded the economic progress achieved by Ethiopia under the leadership of H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia.

He also acknowledged the critical role of Ethiopia in effective implementation of the Look Africa Initiative.

The minister proposed different initiatives for strengthening the cooperation between the two countries in media industry.

He assured the ambassador of all-out support in increasing the presence of Ethiopia in Pakistan by assisting the Embassy of Ethiopia in promoting its culture in his country.