Inclusion of African Countries to BRICS Would Transform Continent, Make Their Voices Heard: Former Ethiopian  Ambassador to UN 

Addis Ababa, September 1/2023 (ENA): The inclusion of Ethiopia and Egypt as new members of the BRICS would help transform the continent and make its voices heard in the global arena, Ethiopia's former Ambassador to the United Nations, Teruneh Zena, told Xinhua, a Chinese news agency.  

Recall that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in his video statement following Ethiopia’s endorsement on 24th August 2023, said that his country’s membership to the BRICS bloc will contribute a lot to realizing South-South cooperation.

“It is a great moment for Ethiopia as the BRICS leaders endorse our entry into this group today. (And) Ethiopia stands ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous global order,” the premier added.

According to Ambassador Teruneh, "the inclusion of Ethiopia and Egypt as new members of the BRICS family would provide the bloc an opportunity to mobilize African countries toward ensuring a fairer world."   

The inclusion of Ethiopia and Egypt from "Africa would (also) help transform the continent and make its voices heard in the global arena," he stated.

BRICS is an alliance to negotiate with the Global North and strive for the world to become a "just one" and no country is discriminated, Teruneh elaborated.

The ambassador noted that Africa could also further enhance its trade and economic relations with China, the biggest trading partner of the continent, bring in experience from India in agricultural development, and seek support from Russia on security matters within the expanded BRICS platform.

"Using BRICS as an additional power and strength as well as enjoying a helping hand from countries like China and Russia, the new African states can speed up industrialization and agricultural development." 

BRICS Plus would serve as a balancing force for the Global South and help them enjoy more choices in their economic and political relations with the rest of the world, according to the former Ethiopian diplomat.

Expressing delight over the inclusion of Ethiopia into the BRICS family, he said Ethiopia will be enjoying a helping hand from other BRICS member states in its bid toward industrialization and agricultural transformation through science and advanced technologies.

"Being a founding member of the African Union as well as an influential nation in East Africa, Ethiopia would be an important asset to the bloc to fight terrorism and serve as an important gateway to the continent." 

Teruneh further said Ethiopia, w.ithin the BRICS framework, needs to deepen its long-standing relations with member states and strive for a fairer world through voicing the interests of Africa. 

For him, adding new members to the BRICS bloc of developing countries would give the group an impetus to implement its ideology of making the world "fairer and non-discriminatory."

The existing international order is not fair in which the voices of the Global South are not heard, the former ambassador told the news agency.

"It is a win-win situation where the new members would bring an additional force to the bloc in its bid of ensuring a fairer world, while they use the grouping as a platform to resolve internal problems, including poverty and unemployment."