Ethiopian diplomat announces country's intention to join NDB in near future

Ethiopia’s accession to the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) is one of the country’s priorities for the current year, and an application has already been submitted. This was stated by the country’s ambassador to Brazil, Leulseged Tadese Abebe. His interview was published on the website of Brazil’s BRICS Chairmanship.

“We are fully committed to integrating all the group’s mechanisms and arrangements. One of the most important pillars in the BRICS family is the New Development Bank. We have already received political support from all BRICS members and hope to conclude our adherence process very soon,” he emphasised.

According to him, after joining the NDB, the focus will be placed on priority sectors: agriculture, energy, and industry.

Speaking about the contribution of the African Union to BRICS, Leulseged Tadese Abebe highlighted that Ethiopia, South Africa, and Egypt are promoting the interests of the continent’s countries in the field of inclusive and sustainable development within the group.

“The African Union has common stances on various themes, including artificial intelligence —one of the priorities of the Brazilian BRICS presidency. So we can also speak with one voice to defend this agenda. Within the BRICS platform, we can promote Africa as a destination for trade, investments, and tourism,” the diplomat added.

Earlier, NDB Vice President Vladimir Kazbekov, at a meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, expressed the bank’s readiness to engage in the country’s projects in the fields of clean energy, transport, water supply, and digital infrastructure.

The New Development Bank was established in 2014 to support sustainable development initiatives in BRICS countries. Since its creation, the bank has already financed a number of major projects in the Global South.

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