Islamabad, October 9, 2025 – The Europe Today: H.E. Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, Special Envoy and Ambassador Extraordinary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, paid a farewell call on H.E. Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, First Lady of Pakistan, on Wednesday at the President House in Islamabad.
During the meeting, Ambassador Dr. Abdula expressed his profound gratitude to the First Lady for her support in strengthening bilateral relations during his tenure as Ethiopia’s first Ambassador to Pakistan. He emphasized his efforts to build enduring connections between the two nations, describing Pakistan as a strong partner in the evolving global landscape.
The Ambassador briefed the First Lady on Ethiopia’s comprehensive political, economic, social, and legal reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed. He highlighted Ethiopia’s potential as a gateway to Africa, offering significant trade and investment opportunities for Pakistan.
Dr. Abdula also presented the Green Legacy Initiative of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, underlining its pivotal role in afforestation and reforestation, food security, job creation, and soil erosion management through the plantation of over 48 billion seedlings across Ethiopia. He extended an invitation to the First Lady to visit Ethiopia and explore collaborative initiatives with the First Lady of Ethiopia, who has been actively engaged in women, children, and environmental causes.
H.E. Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari lauded the Ambassador’s contributions to promoting Pakistan-Ethiopia friendship and recalled the historical visit of her grandfather, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, to Ethiopia. She highlighted the importance of further strengthening these historic ties, rooted in mutual respect and solidarity dating back to the time of King Nejashi.
The First Lady noted that Pakistan ranks among the top ten environmentally stressed countries and shared ongoing efforts in her constituency for flood-affected communities through large-scale reconstruction and plantation projects. She emphasized potential cooperation between Pakistan and Ethiopia in climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and early warning systems under Pakistan’s Green Pakistan Initiative and Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative.
Congratulating Ethiopia on its full membership in BRICS, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, and climate action. She also highlighted growing economic linkages, including the Bilateral Trade Agreement, the upcoming Single Country Exhibition in Addis Ababa, and the resumption of direct flights between Karachi and Addis Ababa, fostering greater connectivity and people-to-people contacts.
The First Lady wished Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula success in his future endeavours and expressed hope for the continued growth of partnership between the two nations. The meeting was attended by Honorable Senator Sherry Rehman.
