Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force, Lieutenant General Yilma Merdassa, called on Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, at Air Headquarters here on Thursday, where the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation in defence and aviation.On his arrival, Lieutenant General Merdassa was presented with a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
The meeting provided an opportunity for a comprehensive exchange of views on matters of professional interest, with both commanders underlining the importance of enhancing collaboration between the two air forces. The Ethiopian Air Force chief expressed keen interest in benefitting from PAF’s operational experience, exploring avenues of technical cooperation, and advancing prospects for indigenous aviation development.
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu welcomed Ethiopia’s interest in closer engagement and assured his counterpart of PAF’s fullest support in strengthening the capacity of the Ethiopian Air Force. He emphasized that Pakistan was committed to extending assistance in advanced training, operational preparedness, and capability-building initiatives. He further highlighted that joint training programmes and shared professional platforms would serve to consolidate long-term military partnership between the two nations.
Concluding the meeting, Lieutenant General Merdassa thanked the Air Chief for the warm reception and expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued commitment to advancing bilateral defence relations.
