Ethiopian Prime Minister hails BRICS membership

Ethiopia's admission to the Brics, a bloc of emerging countries that until now has included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is a "high point" for Africa's second most populous country, rejoiced its Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday.

Meeting at their summit in Johannesburg, the Brics, which aim to increase their influence in the world, announced on Thursday that they would welcome six new members in January: Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"An important moment for Ethiopia, the Brics leaders accepted our entry into the group today. Ethiopia stands ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous world order," wrote Abiy Ahmed on his X (ex-Twitter) account.

"Congratulations to all Ethiopians!" also read the X account of the Ethiopian Prime Minister's office.

Traditionally non-aligned, Ethiopia maintains close ties with Russia and China - its main trading partner - but also with the United States, even if relations with Washington became strained during the two-year conflict in the Tigray region (northern Ethiopia), which ended in November 2022.

Ethiopia was one of the world's most dynamic economies during the 2010 decade, but its growth was curbed by the Covid-19 pandemic, climatic calamities, the conflict in Tigray and the global shockwave of the war in Ukraine.