In a recent interview with Sputnik, Lieutenant Yosef Shegaw, an Ethiopian military officer, disclosed Ethiopia’s intention to transcend its political affiliation with BRICS and establish itself as a practical security collaborator within the alliance.
“Ethiopia’s involvement acknowledges our role as the ‘Anchor of the Horn,’” he said.
“By observing the tactical doctrines of established blue-water navies, we are signaling that Ethiopia’s naval revival is not a localized project but one that seeks interoperability with global powers,” he added.
According to Yosef Shegaw, the East African country has refused to simply observe the transition to multipolarity in silence.
Ethiopia, which was once believed to be exclusively landlocked, is now making a comeback as a land-linked marine power with expanding strategic influence.
The Ethiopian lieutenant claims that Ethiopia’s interactions with the BRICS countries serve as a case study of South-South cooperation that is founded on mutual respect and common growth as opposed to paternalistic agreements.
The lieutenant also noted that Ethiopia’s participation in the BRICS maritime framework ushers in a new age and ensures national development through skilled sailors and a well-defined strategic plan.
As per Spuntik’s interview, Yosef Shegaw disclosed that access to the sea is a logical extension of Ethiopia’s sovereign interests, and that the country’s strategic goal flows through regional infrastructure like the Addis–Djibouti railway and road corridors to Berbera.
Ethiopia’s BRICS partnership
In August 2023, the BRICS group, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, extended invitations to six nations, including the East African country.
Since then, Ethiopia’s relationship with a premier member of the group, Russia, has significantly intensified.
By June 2024, Ethiopia and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering political dialogue and unifying strategies within the UN and BRICS.
Both countries also addressed various crises in Africa, focusing on the Horn of Africa, at the sidelines of the BRICS meeting held at the time.
The East African country, which is currently looking to print its own currency, famously said at the 16th BRICS Summit that BRICS can become a force en route to forging a new world order.
By February 2025, Russia and Ethiopia began discussions on the viability of trading in their local currencies, as well as bolstering their already budding bilateral relations, a conversation that is still ongoing.
In the same month, Russia included three African nations, including Ethiopia, alongside Nigeria and Tunisia, on its list of countries eligible for currency trading in Moscow.
“The number of friendly and neutral countries whose credit institutions and brokers will be allowed to trade on the Russian foreign exchange market and the derivatives market has increased to 40,” a statement to the effect read.
“The order has been signed. Representatives from Argentina, Cambodia, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Ethiopia will now be able to engage in currency trading,” the statement added.
By November 2025, Ethiopia had taken a significant step toward growing its industrial base, with a Russian corporation signing a $1 billion agreement to develop a 500,000-ton aluminum mill in the nation.
Saleh Hashem, advisor to the Egyptian minister of higher education, in December, 2025, revealed to the state-owned Russian media publication, Sputnik, that more tertiary institutions are likely to adopt Russian studies.
