The prime minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, who is attending his first BRIC summit on behalf of a member country, met Russian president Vladimir Putin at a bilateral meeting on Wednesday 23 October.
Putin described Ethiopia’s inclusion in the group as an ‘important step’, praising the closeness of the two nations. Relations between the two countries go back more than a century.
‘Our countries’ positions on most global and regional issues are often very close. We appreciate the fact that Ethiopia supports most of Russia’s initiatives at the United Nations’, declared Mr Putin.
Abiy Ahmed, in his remarks at the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, called for increased intra-BRICS trade in key sectors and investment.
He introduced his country as the third largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa.
At the beginning of this year, Ethiopia officially joined the group of emerging economies. The country is one of the newest members of the bloc.
Keep Reading
Members of the BRICS have shown a determination to realise their vision of a multipolar world, by amplifying the voices of the South. Some of the members have even presented the bloc as a counterweight to the Western-dominated world order.
