Addis Abeba — Ethiopia and Pakistan have agreed to enhance cooperation in defence and aviation as part of efforts to further strengthen their bilateral relations, Ethiopia’s Embassy in Islamabad announced.
The agreement was reached on Monday, 6 October 2025, during a meeting between Jemal Beker Abdula (Phd), Ethiopia’s Special Envoy and Ambassador Extraordinary to Pakistan, and Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Defence.
According to the Embassy, the discussions focused on expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation in several areas, including peace and security, defence, aviation, climate change, trade and investment, culture, and tourism.
During the meeting, Ambassador Jemal briefed the Minister on the recent inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), emphasizing that the project is based on the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of water resources and aims to foster regional integration without causing significant harm to other countries.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
The Ambassador also highlighted Ethiopia’s progress in the aviation sector and expressed interest in expanding flight destinations to Pakistan beyond the existing Karachi route.
According to the Embassy’s statement, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif commended what he described as the “visionary leadership” of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, praising Ethiopia’s socio-economic transformation efforts. He also acknowledged Ethiopia’s “pivotal role in promoting peace, security, and stability in the Horn of Africa,” reaffirming Pakistan’s support for these efforts, the statement added.
Addis Standard reported on 27 August 2025 that Lieutenant General Yilma Merdassa, Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force, met with Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), in Islamabad.
Upon arrival at Air Headquarters, Lieutenant General Yilma was received with a guard of honor by a PAF contingent. The two commanders held discussions on areas of professional interest and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two air forces.
Lt. Gen. Yilma commended what he described as the PAF’s “robust operational readiness, evolving multi-domain capabilities, and credible deterrence posture,” adding that the Ethiopian Air Force seeks to learn from the PAF’s “rich combat experience, integrated command systems, and technological innovations” to enhance its operational capacity.
He also expressed Ethiopia’s interest in technology transfer in the aviation sector, focusing on development and modernization.
The Ethiopian delegation received briefings at the National ISR & Integrated Air Operations Centre and PAF Cyber Command, where Lt. Gen. Yilma was briefed on PAF’s application of advanced technologies in modern warfare.
Air Chief Marshal Sidhu pledged Pakistan’s readiness to expand cooperation through joint training programs. He assured the Ethiopian delegation of the PAF’s “steadfast support to the Ethiopian Air Force in its professional pursuits.” Pakistan “deeply cherishes its cordial relations with Ethiopia and remains firmly committed to providing comprehensive assistance in capacity building, advanced training, and operational domains,” he said.
Recently, it was also reported that Ethiopia discussed military cooperation with Belarus. To advance interstate and military ties with Ethiopia, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin held a working meeting with Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force Lt. Gen. Yilma Merdassa Gnapa, with Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich also attending the meeting, according to the BelTA news agency.
Prior to Lt. Gen. Yilma’s visit to Belarus, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Moscow to discuss a cooperation roadmap. During their talks, Prime Minister Abiy acknowledged Belarus’ military-technical expertise and the support it could extend to Ethiopia, BelTA reported.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Last year, Ethiopia and India agreed to finalize a defence cooperation agreement–pending India’s general elections–aimed at boosting Ethiopia’s military capabilities through training and financial support. The cooperation is “part of India’s broader strategy to expand defense partnerships across Africa,” according to Indian defence media dispatches.
The Ethiopian Air Force is also in talks with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to explore the joint development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and expand their defence partnership. From 1-3 July 2025, a NAF delegation led by Air Commodore Ali Hussaini Idris, Director of Training, visited Ethiopia to strengthen cooperation in aerospace technology, joint training, and the co-production of indigenous UAVs.
