Lecture at BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre discusses prospects of cooperation between Russia and Ethiopia

In 2025, Russia and Ethiopia will celebrate the 127th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In honour of this event, the BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre hosted a lecture by international journalist and Africanist Georgiy Pavlov on the history and prospects of bilateral ties between the countries. This is reported by  "Za Rubejom“, a partner of TV BRICS.

The publication recalled that diplomatic relations between Russia and Ethiopia were established in 1898, when a Russian diplomatic mission headed by Pyotr Vlasov arrived in Addis Ababa. In 1945, the Russian Cultural Centre began its work in the Ethiopian capital, the opening ceremony of which was attended by Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, and in 1978 the states signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which gave a new impetus to bilateral relations.

As Pavlov noted, this African country is now one of Russia's most important partners on the continent. According to him, the interaction between Moscow and Addis Ababa in BRICS plays a significant role.

"Ethiopia is indeed the ‘key’ to Africa. If earlier only South Africa represented the continent within BRICS, today Ethiopia also represents this continent honourably," the expert said.

He pointed out that the republic has become the locomotive of African countries in the field of investment in infrastructure and industry. In addition, Ethiopia's GDP growth in 2024 was 8.1 per cent, making the country one of the fastest growing economies on the continent.

Pavlov added that Africa represents a major driver of global population growth and the continent's countries will drive demographic change on the planet over the next century.

"To successfully engage with Africa, it is important to learn its languages and culture to avoid communication mistakes and build equal partnerships," he said.

In addition, the lecture touched upon the issues of educational ties between Russia and Ethiopia. According to the newspaper, the Russian House in Addis Ababa has a faculty that prepares applicants for admission to Russian universities, as well as a programme that allows young specialists from various fields to visit Russia and learn from the experience of their colleagues.

The BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre was established by the Library for Foreign Literature and TV BRICS in October 2024. Its activities are aimed at developing and strengthening humanitarian cooperation between different countries, popularising culture, science, and education.

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