Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday said Ethiopia's membership in the BRICS mechanism is advantageous as the group promotes the South-South cooperation framework.
ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday said Ethiopia's membership in the BRICS mechanism is advantageous as the group promotes the South-South cooperation framework.
The prime minister made the remarks Tuesday while addressing the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives (HoPR), the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament.
When responding to questions raised by members of the Ethiopian parliament, Ahmed said the East African country's diplomatic and foreign policy perspectives are based on mutual benefit, respecting the country's national interest and sovereignty while ensuring its socioeconomic, geographic and historical benefits.
"Ethiopia's membership in the BRICS mechanism is based upon the fact that it promotes South-South cooperation. Since Ethiopia is an important country within the South-South cooperation framework, we believe that our membership into the BRICS would be an important impetus both for Ethiopia and other BRICS members," Ahmed told members of the Ethiopian parliament.
He commended the five BRICS member countries for their support for Ethiopia's accession.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)
During the 15th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August, BRICS leaders agreed to invite six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to join the group.
The six countries' membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
"We hope our membership into the BRICS mechanism would be advantageous to Ethiopia," Ahmed told the Ethiopian parliament.
He said Ethiopia's membership in BRICS is in line with the country's foreign policy aspirations, stressing that the motive behind the East African country's membership into the group is not to support, oppose, or harm anyone. ■
