• Russia, as current chair, welcomes Sri Lanka’s application

 By Kelum Bandara

Sri Lanka’s application to join BRICS will be considered in due course in consultations and consensus along with numerous other bids from other countries under the chairmanship of Russia, the Russian Embassy said yesterday. 

The embassy said Russia, as the chair of BRICS, welcomes Sri Lanka’s application and stated that news reports about its rejection are inaccurate.  

Sri Lanka placed on record its request to join BRICS at the latest summit in Russia. Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath also requested the member states to support Sri Lanka.  

Under Russia’s presidency, BRICS (acronym for the founding states – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) held its first summit following the group’s expansion on January 1, 2024, from 22 to 24 October in Kazan, Russia with more than 30 delegations, 22 heads of state or government and several representatives of international organizations including United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres attending, the summit was a diplomatic success for Russia: it offered President Vladimir Putin the opportunity to demonstrate to the world that Russia is not isolated. The meeting in Kazan underlined BRICS’s ambition to foster relations with the Global South, and its aim of shaping an alternative multipolar world order, particularly in the global financial and trade system.   

Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane represented Sri Lanka at the summit.