Bekele broke the 5,000m world indoor record last month.

Bekele, who has won the long and short course titles for the past two years, was named in Ethiopia's team for Brussels on 20-21 March.

The world 10,000m champion showed his form when breaking the 5000m indoor world record in earlier this month.

Gebre Gebremariam is also entered in both men's races while Werknesh Kidane will double up in the women's event.

Kidane will be attempting to emulate Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan's two golds in 1998.

She won the 8km and took silver behind Kenyan Edith Masai over four km last year, faces Britain's marathon world record holder and former world cross country champion Paula Radcliffe, who is also due to contest both races.

Double Olympic 10,000m gold medallist Derartu Tulu will take part in the championships for the first time since winning in Portugal in 2000.

"Derartu had initially planned to do a marathon in the spring, but she has changed her focus," her manager Mark Wetmore said.

Tulu, who also won world cross country titles in 1995 and 1997, will line up with her cousin and the world 5,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba in the long course race.