ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Ethiopia have agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in agriculture, with both sides discussing an institutional agro-pact aimed at boosting trade, investment, technology transfer, food security and livestock development.
The proposal was discussed in Islamabad during a meeting between Ethiopian Ambassador Dr Oumer Hussien Oba and Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain.
According to the Ethiopian Embassy, the two sides explored ways to strengthen links between their agricultural institutions and improve the exchange of expertise in areas including crop productivity, seed development, mechanisation and climate-resilient farming.
A possible agro-pact was discussed as a framework to formalise cooperation and create a more structured mechanism for knowledge-sharing and technical collaboration.
Ambassador Oba highlighted the importance of agriculture to Ethiopia’s economy and said the sector remains a major priority for the Ethiopian government.
He also briefed the minister on Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, presenting it as a broader programme focused on sustainable agriculture, food security, climate resilience and the transition towards a greener economy.
The ambassador said Ethiopia could share its experience under the initiative with Pakistan and invited Pakistani agricultural businesses and investors to explore opportunities in Ethiopia’s farming and agribusiness sectors.
The discussion also touched on Ethiopia’s preparations to host COP32 in Addis Ababa in 2027, with climate resilience emerging as one of the areas where agricultural cooperation could be expanded.
Rana Tanveer Hussain, meanwhile, outlined Pakistan’s capabilities in agricultural research, modern farming technologies, agricultural machinery, irrigation, livestock development and agro-processing.
He said Pakistan was ready to share technical expertise with Ethiopia and identified crop productivity, seed development, climate-smart agriculture and farm mechanisation as areas with strong potential for deeper cooperation.
The engagement reflects growing efforts by Islamabad and Addis Ababa to broaden economic ties beyond traditional diplomacy, with agriculture seen as a sector capable of supporting trade, investment and food-security goals in both countries.
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