Ethiopia applies to join the BRICS bloc of emerging economies

[Gunnar Larson]

Ethiopia applies to join the BRICS bloc of emerging economies

BRICS countries account for more than 40 percent of the world’s population
and about 26 percent of the global economy.

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed arrives for the Meskel Square
inauguration in Addis Ababa on June 13, 2021
Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed arrives for the Meskel Square
inauguration in Addis Ababa on June 13, 2021 [Amanuel Sileshi/AFP]

Published On 30 Jun 2023
30 Jun 2023

Ethiopia, one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies, has asked to join the
BRICS bloc of emerging markets, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The term BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to
describe the rise of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The BRIC powers had
their first summit in 2009 in Russia. South Africa joined in 2010, making
it BRICS.

“We expect BRICS will give us a positive response to the request we have
made,” foreign ministry spokesperson Meles Alem told journalists, according
to state-run news agency ENA.

Ethiopia will continue to work with international institutions that can
protect its interests, he said.

The Horn of Africa nation has the second-largest population in Africa, but
its economy ranks only 59th in the world according to the International
Monetary Fund and is less than half the size of the smallest BRICS member
South Africa.

Last year Argentina, the world’s 23rd largest economy, said it had received
China’s formal support to join the group, which is seen as a powerful
emerging-market alternative to the West. The bloc has also previously said
that other countries have also applied to join.


BRICS countries account for more than 40 percent of the world’s population
and about 26 percent of the global economy.

South Africa said on Thursday it would host the next summit in August as
planned, amid speculation it could be moved to a country where Russia’s
President Vladimir Putin would not face arrest over war crimes accusations.

In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his
arrest for allegedly deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. That has
spurred debate within and beyond South Africa, an ICC signatory which is
obligated to arrest Putin if he visits the country for the BRICS summit

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/30/ethiopia-applies-to-join-the-brics-bloc-of-emerging-economies
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