BRICS Photo:VCG

Sri Lanka is to place on record its request for membership of BRICS at the outreach BRICS summit to be held in Kazan, Russia, the country's Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said on Monday. The application signals the wide recognition and appeal of BRICS to developing countries, especially amid the sluggish global economy, said experts. 

During an interaction with the Colombo-based diplomatic corps at the foreign affairs ministry, Herath said he and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be unable to attend the summit because of parliamentary elections, but the secretary of foreign affairs will represent Sri Lanka and place on record a request for membership, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Herath said he has already addressed letters to his counterparts in BRICS member states seeking support.

According to Herath, Sri Lanka considers BRICS to be an effective partnership to realize aspiration for mutually beneficial cooperation, peace and development, through strengthened and inclusive multilateralism within the framework of the United Nations Charter.

Sri Lanka's application to join BRICS underscores the effectiveness and inclusivity of this multilateral platform, which champions the interests of developing nations, Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.

She said that amid a sluggish global economy, BRICS stands out as a beacon of potential, offering pathways for economic growth and development, particularly for countries like Sri Lanka. This alignment with BRICS reflects a strategic move by Sri Lanka to tap into new opportunities for advancement and collaboration in a rapidly changing world, Song said.

Apart from Sri Lanka, countries such as Malaysia, Belarus and Pakistan have applied to join BRICS. 

The continuous expansion of BRICS injects confidence and vitality into the development of the Global South, Song said. "For developing countries, the path to development lies in united self-improvement and strategic alignment through economic and trade cooperation, rather than excessive reliance on support from developed nations," Song noted. 

Russia took over the BRICS' year-long presidency on January 1, 2024. Russia's presidency features more than 250 various events, with a BRICS summit in Kazan on October 22-24, 2024 being the central one, Russian news agency Tass reported.