Pakistan and Ethiopia have committed to resolving outstanding pharmaceutical regulatory and market-access problems while strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday.
The commitment came out of a high-level virtual meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Ethiopia‘s Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, Yasmin Wohabrebbi. They discussed trade ties, Ethiopia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and pending market-access matters.
Pakistan seeks wider economic links with Ethiopia
Jam Kamal Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deeper economic ties and described Ethiopia as an important gateway to East African markets. Recalling an earlier visit with a Pakistani business delegation, he praised Ethiopia’s economic progress.
He pointed to opportunities in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, textiles and investment. He also stressed that diplomatic goodwill must produce tangible commercial results, citing Pakistan’s efforts to establish direct air connectivity with Ethiopia.
WTO accession and market-access talks
Wohabrebbi thanked Pakistan for its constructive engagement and briefed the meeting on her country’s progress towards WTO membership. She said 11 of the 17 bilateral market-access agreements had been concluded.
She asked for Pakistan’s cooperation in completing the remaining accession steps, while addressing Ethiopia’s legitimate trade interests through continued consultations. Jam Kamal Khan called for the early resolution of WTO market-access negotiations and pharmaceutical registrations.
Technical coordination and next steps
Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul stressed sustained technical-level coordination between relevant institutions to settle pending pharmaceutical registration matters. He also called for regular follow-up to remove regulatory bottlenecks and encourage more private-sector involvement.
The ministers discussed convening the Joint Economic Committee and developing a practical roadmap for trade and investment. They intend to pursue outstanding matters before their proposed bilateral engagement in February 2027.
