New BRICS member hails ‘diplomatic victory’ in Moscow

Ethiopia’s first BRICS meeting since joining the group last month has been described as a “diplomatic victory” by a spokesperson for the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Five nations acceded to BRICS at the start of this year as part of a major expansion of the group, which had previously comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Along with Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates also joined, and the door has been left open to further additions.

“Ethiopia’s first BRICS meeting in Moscow was our biggest diplomatic victory of the week,” Meles Alem said at a briefing in Addis Ababa, TASS reported on Thursday, citing a local radio station.

The spokesperson also expressed appreciation for the political consultations that took place between Russia and Ethiopia in Moscow.

Numerous other countries have expressed interest in becoming members of BRICS, and some have already formally submitted applications, including Venezuela, Thailand, Senegal, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bahrain, and Pakistan. 

The first meeting of BRICS sherpas and sub-sherpas took place in Moscow between January 30 and February 1, as part of Russia’s presidency of the group. The Kremlin has stated that the inclusion of the new members in common work is a priority for the group in 2024. 

The Ethiopian delegation was headed by Mamo Esmelealem Mihretu, the governor of the National Bank and government representative in BRICS, along with Ambassador Mesganu Arga, State Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia for Political and Economic Affairs.

Mihretu reaffirmed the commitment and readiness of Addis Ababa to work closely with members of the economic group to strengthen partnerships and participate actively in the implementation of strategies.