Colombo, Oct 14
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 stated that he and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be unable to attend the summit due to the parliamentary election. However, the secretary of foreign affairs will represent Sri Lanka and formally request membership. He mentioned that letters have already been addressed to his counterparts in the BRICS member states seeking support, as reported by Xinhua news agency. According to Herath, Sri Lanka views BRICS as an effective partnership to realize its aspirations for mutually beneficial cooperation, peace, and development through strengthened and inclusive multilateralism within the framework of the United Nations Charter.