Ethiopia and Russia are two historical countries which enhance cooperation in the context of new developments within the BRICS and the Summit Russia-Africa. During the past year that Ethiopia became a member of the BRICS group of nations; both countries are interested in developing their foreign policy dialogue and partnership.
Appointment of Ethiopia to the group is considered to have provided ample chance of enhancing the relations between the two countries. In the 16th BRICS summit from 22nd to 24th of October 2024, in Russia, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had talks on diplomatic relations. They both avowed high interest in enhancing the cooperation of the two organizations.
Prime Minister Abiy express his deep gratitude to President Putin for the constructive discussion, the relations between Ethiopia and the Russian Federation are only developing. He also said that membership in BRICS group of which Russia is a founder has created opportunities for improving economic relations.
He commends Russia for being determined to stay on financial stability despite the odds and at the same time assures Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening up the partnership. In his remarks, President Putin pointed to the progress in diplomatic relations in the last one year saying that bilateral trade between Ethiopia and Russia has been showing positive growth. He reiterated Russia’s determination towards diversification of relations including now in the pharmaceuticals as well as in other fields.
It will be recalled that as part of the strategies aimed at improving relations with Ethiopia and other African countries, President Putin declared that the Chairperson of the Council of the Russian Federation will have to visit Ethiopia soon. Collectively, the two countries show that their relations have historical dimensions and strong bonds enhance by religious similarities as well as healthy people interconnection.
In a recent interview with the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin has also stressed the accelerating bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Russia and Ethiopia, after the meetings of the heads of the two states at the Russia-Africa summit 2019 and 2023.
According to the words of the Ambassador Evgeny Terekhin, there is tremendous political trust and confidence between Putin and Abiy. At the same time, he pointed to the fact that the meetings have enhanced the process of the formation of bilateral cooperation in various fields several times faster than without such top-level meetings.
“We coordinate very much inside of different international institutions especially where we work on the key issues of the both countries are interested,” the ambassador said, adding that he has high expectation this cooperation will be shown in more sectors soon including and focusing on energy, trade and food security ,etc.
This is what prompted him to hold the view that the Economic Partnership is gradually improving even though he agreed with the argument that the improvement rate may not be as high as possible. “In the economic sphere, we are advancing, and I see the changes in this direction,” he said.
Of course, the presence of Ethiopia within the BRICS and during the Russian presidency was also noted by Ambassador Terekhin. He pointed out that this format facilitates more effective efforts to build up mutual cooperation, as a wide list of advanced partnership initiatives is being implemented.
Russia and Ethiopia are quite clear on the nature of the world order that they wish to see one that is, multipolar and based on law, including international law and the UN Charter. The ambassador added that Russia has been keen on enhancing the number of scholarships for Ethiopian students’ yearly thus enhancing people to people relations.
“We are also deepening our cultural relations as well,” he said, noted the Russian cultural events that took place in Ethiopia during Meskel festival (the finding of the true cross) such Russian chorus from a Russian monastery at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa. He too called for similar cultural entertainments in the future as a way of enhancing relations between the two countries.
Moreover, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos (PhD) had a productive meeting with his Russian counterpart on 8th November 2024. This conversation was provided prior to the First meeting of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Sochi and was devoted to the plan of further cooperation and the major challenges in the Russian-African relations.
Despite the fact that, the two ministers reaffirmed their desire to extend the already existing bilateral relationship by increasing economic cooperation as well as improving the relations in different fields of common interests such as Trade, Energy, Agriculture and Security.
Russia has also displayed a lot of interest in funding Ethiopia’s energy sector and utility of natural resources.
The current kind of economic interaction between the two countries can be said to be growing.
It also from November 12 to 14, 2024, Addis Ababa hosting the international business forum “Russia-Ethiopia: Time Does Not Wait!” which was held under the Russian Coordinating Committee for Economic Cooperation with African Countries (AFROCOM) together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, under the support of the Roscongress Foundation.
This forum will afford Russian and Ethiopian businessmen the opportunity to build good business relations and successfully introduce Russian goods and technologies to the African continent. Presenting companies are from different fields such as industry, agriculture, transportation, banking and financial, digital solution, and educational sectors.
Some of the members of the Ethiopian delegation are the Ethiopian Investment Holding, Ethio Telecom, the Ethiopian Construction Works Corporation and industrial parks. Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast will also be represented.
The Chairman of AFROCOM, Igor Morozov, said that this economic forum is an important step towards marketing Russian high-tech products and other enterprises that could meet the need of the Ethiopia’s market.
Overall, Ethiopia has a clearer potential for contributing to improving the Ethiopia- Russia cooperation which may lead to increased understanding of the realities of economic and geopolitical regional and global orientation.
BY EYUEL KIFLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2024
