Islamabad, June 27, 2025 – The Europe Today: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of Italy have held discussions to explore ways of engaging the leadership of Pakistan for the upcoming 2nd United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4), scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa from July 27 to 29, 2025.
The high-level consultation took place during a meeting between H.E. Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, Special Envoy and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to Pakistan, and H.E. Marilina Armellin, Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan, at the Italian Embassy in Islamabad.
During the meeting, the two ambassadors discussed matters of mutual interest, including bilateral and multilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, food security, energy, and connectivity. Both envoys emphasized their countries’ joint commitment to transforming global food systems to ensure enhanced food security—both globally and within their respective nations.
Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker briefed his Italian counterpart on the Ethiopian Embassy’s ongoing efforts to engage the Government of Pakistan for participation at the leadership level in the UNFSS+4 Summit. He noted that preparations for the major international gathering in Addis Ababa are progressing steadily.
“The summit will provide a vital platform to reflect on progress made so far and foster deeper collaboration among nations to build resilient and inclusive food systems,” Dr. Jemal remarked.
He also highlighted Ethiopia’s strong commitment to green economic development and national food self-sufficiency, citing flagship initiatives such as the Green Legacy Initiative, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and the Bounty of Basket program as notable examples of Ethiopia’s leadership in the sector.
Ambassador Marilina Armellin reaffirmed Italy’s robust support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and expressed appreciation for Ethiopia’s proactive steps in addressing climate change, food insecurity, and sustainable development. She also reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral ties with Ethiopia.
She assured full support to Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker and expressed Italy’s readiness to contribute actively to the success of UNFSS+4.
Separately, Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker also met with H.E. Mr. Mohamed Yahya, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, to discuss cooperation and strategies for engaging Pakistan in the forthcoming summit.
The UNFSS+4 Summit, jointly co-chaired by Ethiopia and Italy, aims to serve as a pivotal moment for evaluating progress since the inaugural 2021 Food Systems Summit and to chart a course for sustainable transformation of food systems worldwide.
