SL’s application for BRICS membership not rejected: Foreign Ministry refutes reports

Colombo, November 10 (Daily Mirror)- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted media reports that Sri Lanka’s application for BRICS membership has been rejected and that pending requests for BRICS membership from many countries including Sri Lanka will be considered by BRICS member countries in due course.

In a statement, the Ministry said Sri Lanka’s intention to join the New Development Bank was welcomed by the President of the New Development Bank and the Foreign Ministry together with relevant Government agencies will review the procedures and timing in this regard.

"As approved by the Cabinet on 7 October 2024, Sri Lanka applied for membership in BRICS and the New Development Bank (NDB). Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath wrote to his counterparts in BRICS member countries informing of Sri Lanka’s interest to join. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also wrote to his Russian counterpart in this regard. 

At the BRICS Outreach Summit held in Kazan, Russia from 22 to 24 October 2024, Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane, as leader of the Sri Lanka delegation announced Sri Lanka's interest. 

At the Summit, the BRICS Member States also endorsed a new category of Partner Countries, whilst ‘welcoming the considerable interest by countries of the Global South in BRICS’ (Kazan Declaration)," a statement by the Foreign Ministry said.

"There is no truth in the statement carried in certain local media that 'Sri Lanka’s BRICS application has been rejected'. It is regrettable that the points made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the post-Cabinet media conference on 6 November 2024 have been misrepresented," the statement added.