{"id":63915,"date":"2026-06-18T11:58:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/?p=63915"},"modified":"2026-06-18T12:01:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:01:05","slug":"issi-hosts-africa-day-2026-event-calls-for-stronger-pakistan-africa-trade-south-south-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/2026\/06\/18\/issi-hosts-africa-day-2026-event-calls-for-stronger-pakistan-africa-trade-south-south-cooperation\/","title":{"rendered":"ISSI Hosts Africa Day 2026 Event, Calls for Stronger Pakistan-Africa Trade & South-South Cooperation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Naveed Ahmad Khan\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Photos Sultan Bashir\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

ISLAMABAD: The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad hosted a special event to mark \u201cAfrica Day 2026\u201d on Monday, with Pakistani and African officials calling for deeper trade, connectivity and South-South cooperation between Pakistan and the African continent.<\/p>\n

The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East & Africa at ISSI organised the event, moderated by CAMEA Director Dr. Amina Khan. It opened with the national anthems of Pakistan and the African Union, specially composed for the occasion. Heads of African missions in Pakistan and Pakistani missions in Africa also participated virtually.<\/p>\n

\"\"Pakistan Reaffirms Commitment<\/strong>
\nAmbassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman ISSI Board of Governors, extended greetings on the 63rd Africa Day and reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s commitment to strengthening ties with Africa. He highlighted Africa\u2019s growing role in global affairs and underscored longstanding Pakistan-Africa cooperation.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnhanced engagement in trade, education and people-to-people exchanges is essential,\u201d he said, while appreciating CAMEA\u2019s role in promoting dialogue and sustained engagement.<\/p>\n

\u2018Untapped Reservoir of Potential\u2019<\/strong>
\n\"\"Chief Guest Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan, former foreign minister, congratulated African nations and said the continent is \u201crising with tremendous opportunities for growth\u201d. He called Africa an untapped reservoir of potential for Pakistan.<\/p>\n

He identified lack of banking channels and direct flights as key hurdles but said the foundation for cooperation has been laid. Noting close coordination at the UN and shared voting patterns, he said South-South trade offers major scope. He added that Gwadar Port, improved shipping, banking and digital links can unlock the relationship\u2019s full potential.<\/p>\n

\"\"From Liberation Support to Economic Ties<\/strong>
\nAmbassador Brahim Romani, Acting Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and Algerian envoy to Pakistan, said Pakistan was among the first to support African liberation movements \u2014 a legacy Africa appreciates. He urged converting that goodwill into stronger economic cooperation and trade.<\/p>\n

Highlighting Africa\u2019s opportunities and Pakistan\u2019s expertise in industry, science and technology, he called for closer institutional and business linkages, more active embassy engagement and greater private sector participation. He also proposed appointing a special envoy for Africa and expressed optimism for growth under South-South cooperation.<\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s Vision, Pakistan\u2019s Role<\/strong>
\nDr. Amina Khan noted Africa\u2019s journey of resilience and independence, and reaffirmed CAMEA\u2019s commitment to dialogue, research and cultural exchange with Africa.<\/p>\n

\"\"African Union Commission Chairperson H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said Africa\u2019s vision is rooted in unity, integration and development, and reaffirmed commitment to Agenda 2063 and \u201cThe Africa We Want\u201d. He cited AU reforms and the 2026 focus on water, sanitation and climate resilience, alongside calls for justice and stronger global governance.<\/p>\n

Additional Foreign Secretary for Africa Hamid Asghar Khan said shifting geopolitics make deeper Pakistan-Africa engagement vital. He highlighted Africa\u2019s potential in agriculture, food security and natural resources, its youth as an asset, and called for expanded cooperation in education, healthcare, IT, pharmaceuticals, tourism and sports, plus stronger connectivity.<\/p>\n

The event concluded with an interactive session and stalls set up by African missions showcasing food, products and artwork. Diplomats, academics, students, media and the African diaspora attended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Naveed Ahmad Khan\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Photos Sultan Bashir\u00a0 ISLAMABAD: The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad hosted a special event to mark \u201cAfrica Day 2026\u201d on Monday, with Pakistani and African officials calling for deeper trade, connectivity and South-South cooperation between Pakistan and the African continent. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":63925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[1150,1152,1151],"class_list":["post-63915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-diplomats","tag-africa-day-2026","tag-pakistan-africa-connectivity","tag-pakistan-africa-relations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63915"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63924,"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63915\/revisions\/63924"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyspokesman.net\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}