Sri Lanka has renewed its interest in joining BRICS, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake conveying the country’s aspirations during his three-day state visit to India.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during a special media briefing on President Dissanayake’s visit said that Sri Lanka’s request however will be considered only when BRICS deliberates new memberships in the future.
“Currently, there are no new members being considered by BRICS in addition to the ones that were already on the list since last year. But as and when there is a consensus within BRICS to start looking at new members, we will certainly take into account the interest expressed by Sri Lanka. This was something communicated to the Prime Minister by President Dissanayake,” Misri said.
BRICS, a forum for cooperation among emerging economies, currently includes nine members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka formally applied for BRICS membership, signaling its interest in aligning with the bloc of rapidly developing nations. (Islandnews)
