Interview: BRICS' expansion helps ensure fairer world -- former Ethiopian diplomat

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Adding new members to the BRICS bloc of developing countries would give the group an impetus to implement its ideology of making the world "fairer and non-discriminatory," Teruneh Zenna, Ethiopia's former ambassador to the United Nations, has said.

"The existing international order is not fair in which the voices of the Global South are not heard," the former ambassador said.

"The inclusion of Ethiopia and Egypt as new members of the BRICS family would provide the bloc an opportunity to mobilize African countries toward ensuring a fairer world," said Zenna in a recent interview with Xinhua.

At the just-concluded BRICS summit, six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were officially invited to join BRICS. Their membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

"It is a win-win situation where the new members would bring an additional force to the bloc in its bid of ensuring a fairer world, while they use the grouping as a platform to resolve internal problems including poverty and unemployment," Zenna told Xinhua.

Noting that the new and existing members of the bloc would play influential roles in their respective regions to align neighboring states to the bloc's strategies, Zenna said the inclusion of African countries would help transform the continent and make its voices heard in the global arena.

BRICS is "an alliance to negotiate with the Global North and strive for the world to become a 'just one.' No country is discriminated," Zenna said.

He said Africa could enhance its trade and economic relations with China, the biggest trading partner of the continent, bring in experience from India in agricultural development, and seek support from Russia on security matters within the expanded BRICS platform.

Recalling that Russia and China had stood by African countries against colonial oppression, he said the same countries have been fighting neo-colonial oppression together with Africa.

"Using BRICS as an additional power and strength as well as enjoying a helping hand from countries like China and Russia, the new African states can speed up industrialization and agricultural development," Zenna said.

According to the former Ethiopian diplomat, BRICS Plus would serve as a balancing force for the Global South against the Global North and help them enjoy more choices in their economic and political relations with the rest of the world.

Expressing delight over the inclusion of Ethiopia into the BRICS family, he said Ethiopia will be enjoying a helping hand from other BRICS member states in its bid toward industrialization and agricultural transformation through science and advanced technologies.

"Being a founding member of the African Union as well as an influential nation in East Africa, Ethiopia would be an important asset to the bloc to fight terrorism and serve as an important gateway to the continent," Zenna said. "Within the BRICS framework, Ethiopia needs to deepen its long-standing relations with member states and strive for a fairer world through voicing the interests of Africa."