Sri Lanka to apply for BRICS membership at summit in Russia

COLOMBO, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) — Sri Lanka is to place on record its request for membership of BRICS at the outreach BRICS summit to be held in Kazan, Russia, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said on Monday.
During an interaction with the Colombo-based diplomatic corps at the foreign affairs ministry, he said he and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be unable to attend the summit because of the parliamentary election, but the secretary of foreign affairs will represent Sri Lanka and place on record request for membership.
He said he has already addressed letters to his counterparts in the 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. ■