Ethiopia has formally requested to join the Brics alliance and says it's "hoping for a positive response", according to Foreign Minister Meles Alem.

Brics - which is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is seen by some as an alternative to the G7 group of developed nations.

Ethiopia is one of the biggest economies in Africa and has enjoyed an increase in trade with China and India among others, but its economy has recently been ravaged by war and drought.

Earlier this month, the Brics group said they had received requests from dozens of countries, including a few African states, that wished to join the club of emerging economies.

Brics countries have a combined population of more than 3.2 billion people, making up about 40% of the world's roughly eight billion people.