President Anura Dissanayake formally declined an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the BRICS Summit held in Russia last October, according to Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Levan Jagaryan.
Speaking at a conference in Colombo titled “The Use of Force in International Law: Russian Perspectives,” Ambassador Jagaryan disclosed that he personally delivered the official invitation to President Dissanayake during a meeting on October 1.
“The discussion took place through an interpreter, and I believe the President’s message was clearly conveyed. He explained he could not attend the BRICS Summit due to the approaching general elections,” the ambassador said.
Ambassador Jagaryan further clarified that Sri Lanka’s potential membership in BRICS involves a multilateral approval process requiring consensus among all current member states, not just Russia.
“While Russia and China support Sri Lanka’s interest in joining BRICS, the final decision rests collectively with all member countries, including Brazil, which currently chairs the bloc,” he explained.
Ambassador Jagaryan stated that he has not seen much interest at the moment and therefore requested Sri Lanka to take some practical steps, if it is serious about joining BRICS.
He urged Sri Lankan officials to engage diplomatically with all BRICS nations, particularly Brazil, to pursue membership.
“The door isn’t closed, but it’s a collective decision,” Ambassador Jagaryan emphasized.
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