Ethiopia’s PM reacts to BRICS admission

The acceptance of Ethiopia’s application to join the BRICS group of world economies marks a significant milestone for the East African country, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday.

Ethiopia is one of six countries whose bids to join the five-nation bloc were approved earlier on Thursday by leaders of the current member states at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In response to Addis Ababa’s admission, Abiy Ahmed said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), “a great moment for Ethiopia as the BRICS leaders endorse our entry into this group today.”

“Ethiopia stands ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous global order,” he wrote.

Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have also joined the alliance, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced, adding that an agreement “on the guiding principles” of the BRICS expansion process has been reached.

The summit in Johannesburg this week prioritized BRICS expansion, with South Africa’s leader insisting that the “value of BRICS extends beyond the interests of its current members.”

More than 20 countries have formally asked to be admitted into the club, and several others have expressed interest, Ramaphosa said ahead of the meeting, which began on Tuesday and is scheduled to end on Thursday.

Originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, the group was last expanded in 2010 to include South Africa, giving birth to the acronym BRICS.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the bloc will represent 46% of the world’s population and an even larger share of its economic output with the addition of the countries.

“The relevance of the BRICS is confirmed by the growing interest shown by other countries in joining the group,” Lula wrote on X while welcoming the latest members.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the expansion is “historic and marks a new starting point for cooperation.”

Beginning in January 2024, the six newcomers will become full members of the organization, which its current leaders have repeatedly stated is neither anti-Western nor competing with any other alliance.

Source: Russia Today