Dos Santos recalled the approval of the African country’s membership along with Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates at the XV, effective January 1, 2024. Economic group summit last August in Johannesburg and highlighted the related initiatives it has.
He mentioned, among others, the New Development Bank, the Brics Business Council and the Brics Business Women Alliance, which promote exchanges in areas such as media, culture, education, sports, arts, youth, civil society, science, science and technology, making statements to the Ethiopia -News agency.
“Ethiopia will now take stock of what the Brics have achieved in each of these areas and begin to bring forward its own initiatives and perspectives. We look forward to working with Ethiopia in this regard,” he said.
He considered that such accession will reinforce the group’s call for inclusive multilateralism, respect for international law and reform of multilateral political and financial institutions, all of which are valued by developing countries and by both Brazil and Ethiopia as individual countries have been defended for a long time.
Likewise, the interest expressed by several countries in joining the BRICS shows that there is a positive impetus in defending these causes within the international community in general, emphasized the Brazilian diplomat.
As a member of the economic group in the near future, Addis Ababa’s views and experiences on many issues raised will be shared with the other member countries, which will strengthen everyone and open new avenues of cooperation.
“I am very optimistic about the future of South-South cooperation within the BRICS and bilateral relations between Brazil and Ethiopia as a whole,” he emphasized.
On the other hand, while looking at the bilateral relations between the two countries, dos Santos emphasized the friendly relations for more than 70 years and the fluid dialogue on the most important global and regional issues with very important common positions.
Regarding the latter, in particular the need for developing countries to play a more important role on the world stage, he pointed out.
He revealed that trade and investment ties are increasing in places where Egypt Airlines’ daily flight connects São Paulo with Addis Ababa and that cooperation programs such as agriculture are being developed where the Brazilian experience can boost Ethiopian production.
“We are evaluating other possible partnerships, for example in sports diplomacy, an area where we in Brazil can learn, for example, from Ethiopia’s remarkable successes in athletics,” he concluded.
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