ECSU holds public lecture on Ethiopia entry to BRICS and its role
Ethiopian Civil Service University (ECSU) College of Leadership and Governance, School of Diplomacy and International Relations held a Public lecture under the title "Ethiopia entry to BRICS and its role on promoting south- south cooperation፡ benefits, challenges and prospects.” on May 16, 2024 at ECSU.
Haweni Girma a student at School of Diplomacy and International Relations, warmly welcomed all honorable guests, Ambassadors, academic staffs and students. She noted the academic and work experience of the presenters.
Head of School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Dr. Temesegene Aschenek , welcomed the participants and briefed that such kinds of discussion is one of the academicians role at ECSU in the department and also continue in the future. He also introduced the overall objective of joining BRICS in line with Multilateral Diplomacy.
The first speaker, Ambassador Evgeny Terekhin, briefly explained the historical formation and development of BRICS. He points out the collective economy of the member states in terms of Group of seven accounts 35.6% of global GDP, while G7 accounts 30.3%. By the end of 2028, the situation will evolve further in BRICS favor: 36.6% versus 27.8%.The formation of BRICS is historically objective as new powerful center of economic growth, financial and political he pointed out. With short period of time BRICS association has rapidly developed and transformed into an extensive multi-level mechanism of interaction on a wide range of issues on the global agenda he underlined.
Ambassador Dina Mufti mentioned the overall objective of BRICS. Uplifting and strengthening diplomacy, enhancing development, ensuring peace and security, and enabling south-south cooperation are some of the key objectives. In-line with this mutual respect, sovereign equality and inclusiveness are the fundamental principles of BRICS. Additional new members like Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Argentina, and UAE are involving on different section of BRICS such as energy, innovation, environment, science and technology, and trade promotion, he expressed his opinions.
Ambassador Dina Mufti highlighted the principle of south-south cooperation. Mutual respect, partnership between equal countries, obtaining benefits evenly, non-interference and joint environment are advocated even if countries like Ethiopia are influenced by some foreign countries by exacerbation of internal problems due to internal vulnerability. Geo political factors such as political, economic, ideological and national character highly impact the foreign powers he added.
The key benefits of BRICS also mentioned by Ambassador Dina. Access to massive market and investors, boost trade and environment, technological support for education and health sector, access to information for the sector of Medicine and Agriculture are remarked. Beyond all these benefits political differences, economic inequality, internal problems like corruption, poverty and inequality, overdependence on member states, maintaining independence in foreign relation are articulated as main challenges. Fresh water, oil gas, arable land, fisheries, new organizational capacity and method are the prospects of BRICS to balance the global trade and investment in the near future Ambassador Dina posited.
The participants raised different questions and the presenters were respectively answered the questions. The public lecture was moderated by Dr. Bayisa Tesfaye.
Ambassador Dina has graduated with a masters Degree in Political Science and International Relations in Canada and holds a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations from Addis Ababa University. He was prior to his appointment, Dina has been Ethiopia’s ambassador to Egypt. He has served as Ethiopia’s resident ambassador in Kenya, Sweden, and Zimbabwe and as a non-resident ambassador in many other African and European countries.
Mr. Evgeny Terekhin was appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Ethiopia and Representative of the Russian Federation to the African Union and worked as Minister-Counsellor of the Russian embassy to Ethiopia between 2002 and 2006. After several years, returned to Ethiopia as his country’s ambassador in 2019. Graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the USSR in 1981.