LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar, Ethiopian envoy discuss trade and investment opportunities
Ethiopian Ambassador Dr. Oumer Hussien Oba and LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar discussed expanding trade and investment ties, with a Pakistani business delegation set to visit Ethiopia in January 2027.
LAHORE: Ethiopian Ambassador Dr. Oumer Hussien Oba has invited Pakistani business community to explore investment and trade opportunities in Ethiopia, which is a strategic gateway to African markets and highlighting its competitive energy costs, industrial infrastructure, investment incentives and growing economy.
He was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar, Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain, former LCCI Vice President Mian Zahid Javed, Executive Committee Memmvers Ali Raza, Muhammad Umar Abdullah, Shahzad Mahmood, Tariq Mahmood, Naila Nadeem and others were also present on the occasion.
The Ambassador said that Ethiopia, with a population of over 130 million, offered considerable opportunities for Pakistani investors, particularly in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and other industrial sectors. He said Ethiopia was opening more sectors to international investment and assured that efforts were being made to address regulatory challenges faced by Pakistani pharmaceutical companies.
It was revealed that the Ethiopian Embassy in Islamabad will lead a Pakistani business delegation to Ethiopia from January 24 to 29, 227 to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.
LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar said that existing trade figures did not reflect the true potential of Pakistan-Ethiopia relations. Referring to bilateral trade figures, he said Pakistan’s exports to Ethiopia stood at around $5.1 million, while Ethiopia’s exports to Pakistan were approximately $14.5 million. He stressed the need for practical measures to increase trade and identified promising opportunities in rice, textiles, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, food products, steel, marble and agricultural machinery.
The LCCI President proposed establishing direct institutional links between LCCI and the relevant Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce within a week to initiate virtual business meetings, identify potential sectors and develop concrete business opportunities. He also offered to host Ethiopian business delegations at LCCI for structured B2B meetings and expressed readiness to facilitate joint ventures and reciprocal business visits.
He said Lahore had a strong industrial base, with expertise in diverse sectors, and stressed that regular interaction between the two business communities could help translate the existing potential into meaningful trade and investment partnerships. He expressed confidence that bilateral trade would grow significantly through coordinated efforts during the respective tenures of the Ambassador and LCCI leadership.
Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain said that Lahore Chamber was among Pakistan’s leading chambers, representing more than 50,000 businesses and companies. He said Lahore possessed enormous potential and expressed confidence that cooperation with Ethiopia would create new opportunities for both sides.
