President writes to Putin to seek BRICS membership

Friday, 27 December 2024 00:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has formally expressed the country’s interest in joining BRICS, the influential economic bloc, in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The development was confirmed by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Moscow, P.M. Amza, in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti this week.

“President Dissanayake conveyed Sri Lanka’s desire to join the BRICS family in a letter to President Vladimir Putin. Additionally, we have approached other BRICS member countries and are awaiting their favourable responses,” Ambassador Amza said.

The letter to President Putin was sent in October he revealed, a month that also saw Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, publicly announce the country’s decision to apply for BRICS membership and to join the New Development Bank. Minister Herath highlighted BRICS as a vital platform for fostering mutually beneficial cooperation, peace, and development, aligning with Sri Lanka’s aspirations to strengthen multilateralism under the framework of the UN Charter.

This is not Sri Lanka’s first diplomatic effort to secure BRICS membership. Last December, reports surfaced that President Dissanayake had sought support from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to back the country’s bid to join the bloc.

Currently, BRICS brings together ten member countries, representing a combined population of 3.6 billion people, nearly half of the global total. The bloc accounts for over 40% of the world’s oil production and around a quarter of global goods exports, positioning it as a critical player in global economic and geopolitical dynamics.