Ethiopia BRICS
Ethiopia has applied for membership in the BRICS group of emerging economies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
In a press briefing today on June 29, 2023, Ministry spokesman Meles Alem confirmed that Ethiopia made the request to join BRICS.
“We have applied for membership and are hoping for a positive response,” Meles Alem told journalists.
In recent years, BRICS has grown in global economic prominence with more developing countries seeking to join the bloc. Last month, South African officials said over 19 countries had expressed interest in BRICS membership.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Algeria and Indonesia are among countries that have applied for BRICS membership.
“As a country that has been a founding member of global institutions like the AU and the UN, and as we seek to guarantee our national interests, it is important to join blocs like BRICS,” Meles said, justifying why Ethiopia applied for admission.
Originally consisting of Brazil, Russia, India and China (hence BRIC), the group added South Africa in 2010 and is now commonly referred to as BRICS. The five member states represent over 40 percent of the world’s population and around a quarter of the global GDP.
