ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia has held a successful participation at the 17th BRICS Summit in promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation and making African voices heard, according to officials who attended the summit.
The country has demonstrated a keen interest in sharing its experiences, acquiring technology, and attracting investment from BRICS countries while also contributing its fair share to the consolidation of the bloc, Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos (PhD) and Government Communication Service Minister Legesse Tulu said regarding the 17th BRICS Summit that held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6-7, 2025.
Foreign Minister Gedion stated that the summit facilitated opportunities to frame and solidify bilateral and multilateral relations among member states. The BRICS bloc focuses on three key areas of cooperation such as politics and security, economics, and cultural and people-to-people relations.
According to the Foreign Minister, Ethiopia's economic cooperation with BRICS countries is crucial for the nation's development, and the summit paved the way for strengthening such partnerships. Ethiopia utilized the platform to demonstrate its commitment to enhancing relations and cooperation with member countries.
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Gedion mentioned that both the summit and the sideline meetings were fruitful in expressing Ethiopia's strategic interests and attracting support.
During the summit, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva discussed potential avenues to strengthen the two nations' bilateral ties, specifically focusing on economic cooperation.
The Foreign Minister stated that Prime Minister Abiy briefed President Lula about Ethiopia's position, directions, and policies in the Eastern African region. Consolidating longstanding bilateral relations was another key point highlighted in the sideline meetings.
In this regard, Prime Minister Abiy and Chinese Premier Li Qiang exchanged views on ways to solidify China's participation in Ethiopia's economic growth. They also discussed strengthening China's support in the Paris Club, particularly in backing Ethiopia's debt restructuring efforts, and boosting investment and trade between the two nations.
Gedion mentioned that China's zero-tariff policy has granted countries like Ethiopia duty-free access to export their products to China. During their discussion, according to the Foreign Minister, the Chinese Premier noted the significant increase in Ethiopian coffee exports to China.
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Prime Minister Abiy also held discussions with his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, regarding the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), acknowledging the President's contribution to the project during his term as Chairperson of the African Union.
During the leaders' meeting, Prime Minister Abiy emphasized the importance of Africa's voice being equally represented in all international institutions. He further stated that Africa should not only be heard, but its level of participation must also be enhanced, according to Government Communication Service Minister Legesse Tulu.
The Prime Minister expressed Ethiopia's commitment to bolstering its collaboration with other countries and gaining insights from their experiences, Legesse stated. Prime Minister Abiy highlighted at the summit that Ethiopia is already reaping the benefits of its partnership with BRICS.
He added that the BRICS Development Bank serves as a financial institution that provides an alternative to the unequal access to finance and credit on a global scale, which would be advantageous for Ethiopia. Legesse also noted that Prime Minister Abiy underscored the necessity of collaboration to leverage the opportunities presented by the digital realm while also addressing the associated risks.
He highlighted that Ethiopia is engaged in significant efforts in artificial intelligence and is seeking to partner with BRICS nations in this domain. Concerning climate change, the Prime Minister stated that Ethiopia is not merely engaging in discussions but is also demonstrating a practical example for the world to follow, according to the Communication Minister.
