Sri Lanka to apply for BRICS membership - The Morning

According to Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, the application highlights Sri Lanka's intention to strengthen ties with developing economies and diversify its multilateral relationships.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aruni Wijewardane, stated that the country will formally submit its application for membership during the BRICS summit, which will take place in Kazan, Russia, on October 23-24.

Sri Lanka is an island nation formerly known as Ceylon, located south of India in the Indian Ocean. It was a former British colony and, due to a series of economic policy missteps in recent years, has found itself economically and politically dependent on China.

What is BRICS?

BRICS is an international association of five countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It originally formed as BRIC (without South Africa) but was renamed BRICS following South Africa's inclusion in 2010. It is a group of countries, characterized by rapidly growing economies, that aims to strengthen economic cooperation, increase political influence in the international arena, and develop alternative financial mechanisms that are not dependent on the West, such as the IMF and the World Bank.

BRICS is often seen as a platform to reinforce a global multipolar order, where these countries are trying to reduce the dominance of the US and the EU.

Earlier, we reported that in 2023, newly elected Argentine President Javier Milei sent a letter to BRICS member countries stating Argentina's refusal to join the association.