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Ethiopia has officially applied to join the BRICS group of nations, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The spokesperson for the Ministry, Ambassador Meles Alem, stated that Ethiopia will continue to work with international institutions that can protect its interests. BRICS is an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Ambassador Meles expressed his expectation that BRICS will respond positively to Ethiopia’s request and stated that the country will continue to work with other institutions that can protect its national interests.
Ethiopia has been increasing its trade relations with BRICS countries in recent years. Data shows a drastic increase in trade between Ethiopia and BRICS, largely accounted for by China and India². A trade intensity analysis shows that BRICS countries are becoming increasingly important trading partners to Ethiopia, especially as sources of Ethiopia’s imports². This suggests that Ethiopia has a window of opportunity for transforming its economy and diversifying its exports by strengthening its trade relations with BRICS.
Several other countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and Algeria have also applied to join BRICS. The group aims to introduce more currency to the world and prevent it from being controlled by a few nations.
In June 2022, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attended the ‘BRICS- Plus’ high-level dialogue on global development held virtually¹. The meeting was hosted by Xi Jinping, President of China, on the margins of the 14th Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) Summit. The high-level dialogue brought together leaders from 17 countries¹. During the dialogue, President Xi announced an additional 1 billion USD for global development cooperation.
Ethiopia’s application to join BRICS is a significant step towards strengthening its international relations and increasing its presence on the global stage. It remains to be seen how BRICS will respond to Ethiopia’s request.
