Confusion surrounds Sri Lanka’s BRICS ambitions after mixed signals emerged regarding the country’s absence from the 16th BRICS Summit and the status of its membership bid. While government officials insist national security concerns prevented President Anura Kumara Dissanayake from attending the summit in Kazan, Russia, last year, the Russian ambassador to Sri Lanka has offered a different version of events—one that suggests Sri Lanka may not be as committed to joining BRICS as previously claimed.
The invitation to attend the BRICS Summit was the first official invitation extended to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake after taking office. However, he ultimately declined the invitation. Then-Cabinet Media Spokesman Vijitha Herath explained that the decision was based on heightened national security risks in the country at the time. Herath said the President, who also serves as Minister of Defence, could not leave Sri Lanka due to threats that emerged during that period specifically concerns about foreign influence if he were to travel to Russia.
“There was an emergency security situation. The President is also the Minister of Defence. At that moment, we received intelligence that if he travelled to Kazan, there could be interference from certain foreign actors. So, he chose not to attend. We communicated this clearly to the Russian President via our Foreign Ministry Secretary. He understood and said that had it been their situation, they wouldn’t have gone either,” Herath clarified at the time.
Yet Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Levan Jagaryan recently contradicted this narrative, suggesting that the President gave election-related reasons for declining the invitation. Speaking at a public event in Colombo, Jagaryan recounted his October 1, 2023 meeting with the President, during which he personally delivered the invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The President said he wouldn’t be attending because of general elections. This was communicated through an interpreter, and I believe it was conveyed accurately,” Jagaryan stated.
The ambassador also remarked that he doesn’t sense strong interest from Sri Lanka in actually joining BRICS. “Russia and China support Sri Lanka’s entry. But without visible interest from Sri Lanka, the process won’t move. It’s your government’s decision, and discussions should be initiated with Brazil, the current BRICS chair,” he said.
Although President Dissanayake did not attend the BRICS Summit, Sri Lanka was represented at the event by the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a small official delegation.
Responding to the ambassador’s remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aruna Hemachandra confirmed that Sri Lanka has indeed applied for BRICS membership, but noted that the organization has temporarily halted the admission of new members.
“There are countries in BRICS and others that joined during a second phase. They control the intake process. It’s not something we can change unilaterally,” Hemachandra said. He also affirmed that Sri Lanka is currently holding talks with Russia, China, India, and Brazil about future membership opportunities.
Hemachandra dismissed speculation that joining BRICS might conflict with Sri Lanka’s ongoing cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “No, there’s no such issue. These are entirely separate matters,” he said.
The BRICS group—originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, and China—was conceived in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill. He identified these rapidly developing economies as future global powerhouses. South Africa joined the group in 2010, turning BRIC into BRICS.
The bloc was formed with the objective of reforming global financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank, in order to amplify the voice and influence of emerging economies. In 2014, BRICS launched the New Development Bank (NDB) with a capital of $250 billion, designed to offer financial support to developing nations.
Non-member countries such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have already joined the NDB, signaling that the institution is open to global participation beyond the five founding nations.
As Sri Lanka balances its foreign relations between East and West, its ambiguous positioning on BRICS membership is drawing more scrutiny. With Russia and China supportive but questions lingering about Colombo’s true intentions, the future of Sri Lanka’s BRICS bid remains uncertain—and politically charged.
