On day one, after meeting the Honorable President of Arab Parliament Honorable Mr. M. Adel Bin Abdoul Rahman Al Hassoumi, the three-member delegation met Minister of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Djibouti, honorable Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Minister of Budget Mr. Abdoulkarim Aden Cher and the Minister of Commerce/Trade Mr. Hassan Houmed Ibrahim.

Minister of Foreign Affair of the Republic of Djibouti shared that Djibouti is very ambitious to become a hub for the region and even beyond. They are developing infrastructure and emphasized the significance of strengthening the bilateral ties with Pakistan. He also talked about the importance of the road and belt initiative and said it is important to have a direct line between Pakistan and Djibouti for trade. They see Pakistan as a vibrant country with a growing economy and stated that Djibouti and Pakistan both states have the potential to work together towards development with corporation and unity.

They appreciated the role of the International Parliamentarians’ Congress (IPC) by mentioning that the pandemic COVID-19 has already shaken the world and the countries started moving towards isolation and the following protectionism. During this time, IPC is creating solidarity between us and the other countries and strengthening the foundation of a mutual understanding system.

Secretary-General International Parliamentarians’ Congress (IPC) Senator Mohammad Ali Saif and Senator Mirza Mohammad Afridi talked about the bilateral expansion of trade between Djibouti and Pakistan and also requested for the exemption of Visa to official passports for Djibouti. Moreover, Djibouti is planning to open a Pakistan embassy in Djibouti.