Wednesday January 1, 2025
A leading organisation representing Pakistan’s business community has engaged in high-level talks with Somalia’s Ambassador Sheikh Noor Muhammad Hassan in Islamabad. According to The Nation, the discussions yesterday, led by the Secretary General of the United Business Group (UBG), Zafar Bakhtawari, focused on bolstering trade and cultural ties between the two countries.
Prominent attendees included Waqar Bakhtawari, former president of the Chakwal Chamber of Commerce; an Executive Member of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Roohail Anwar Butt; and the Deputy Head of Somalia’s Mission in the Pakistani capital, Yasin Mohamud Mire.
Somali Ambassador Hassan, a veteran politician and former minister, highlighted Somalia’s improved security and its strategic position as a seaport nation. He also spoke of opportunities for maritime trade, inviting Zafar Bakhtawari to lead a trade delegation to the East African state. In turn, Bakhtawari praised Somalia’s rich resources and trade potential, noting the growing demand for Pakistani products in the Somali market.
Separately, Pakistan yesterday reiterated its support for the Ankara Declaration, a Turkish-brokered initiative earlier this month aimed at resolving disagreements between Ethiopia and Somalia over the breakaway Somaliland region. Ethiopian Ambassador Jemal Beker, meeting with Pakistan’s Additional Secretary for Africa, Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan, lauded Turkiye’s role in fostering regional peace, stability and development.