Former President Ranil Wicklemesinge believes that Sri Lankan Brick’s membership will benefit the country following a recent statement during his official visit to Russia. Speaking at the Baldai Discussion Club Forum in St. Petersburg, Wicklemesinge advocated for entry into the country’s economic bloc, highlighting the group’s growing global influence. His comments come when the expansion of BRICS in 2025 continues to restructure international economic ties, with an alliance that includes the current 11 countries, representing a major shift from the traditional West’s dominant structure.
Sri Lankan Brics talks about signal shift towards decommunal trade
Former president player enters the economic bloc
During his strategic appearance at the well-known forum, Wicklemesinge addressed Russia’s global position and has now tapped into multiple essential insights into the impact of the BRICS Alliance.
Wickremesinghe said:
“I don’t think Russia is isolated. It deals with many countries in the world, including parts of the world. The Russian connections continue to grow. BRICS has become a large group. It is a larger group than other economic groups.”
His assessment challenges Western tales of Russia’s global status, particularly as Russia-Sri Lanka relations accelerate development despite international sanctions and various major pressures. The timing of these statements coincides with the ongoing trends in the BRICS expansion in 2025, radically transforming the block from its original five founding members into an alliance of 11 countries across multiple strategic continents.
Economic bloc fills international gaps
The former president has also designed a discussion about the collapse of traditional non-aligned structures and how BRICS strategically deals with this vacuum in several major international regions.
Wickremesinghe should have said this:
“The non-aligned movement has collapsed. I think BRICS will fill that gap.”
This perspective illustrates how emerging economies are increasingly catalyzed towards alternative multilateral frameworks that have developed greater representation and economic autonomy in various key sectors. For Sri Lanka, joining BRICS will also allow trade in partnerships that maximize access to alternative financing mechanisms and at the time of writing it will revolutionize its dependence on Western financial institutions.
Currently, the expansion of BRICS membership includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Countries like Argentina and Indonesia will also receive invitations to participate, accelerating the bloc’s growth trajectory and appealing to developing countries in multiple important regions.
Represents interest in developing countries
The former president focused on the political and economic importance of a country’s alliance, such as Sri Lanka, across several key strategic areas.
Wickremesinghe said:
“It consists of countries of our world. I thought I should apply for that membership during my administration. Already there are new members in BRICS, such as Iran and Indonesia. Some others are politically and economically important groups.
This positioning appeals to countries that are particularly looking for an alternative to the dollar-controlled trading system across a variety of major economic sectors. BRICS Nations has a positively designed mechanism for bilateral trade in local currencies. These are implemented strategically in many important economic sectors. Regarding Sri Lanka’s BRICS considerations, such arrangements could optimize important financial flexibility given the country’s current debt obligations and forex constraints.
The Economic Bloc has also pioneered the creation of alternatives to Western-controlled financial infrastructure, including payment systems that revolutionize the ability of member states to trade internationally without relying on traditional banking networks in multiple key areas.
Strategic implications for international relations
Wickremesinghe’s advocacy for BRICS membership catalyzed the potential readjustment of Sri Lanka’s international relations and diplomatic priorities in several key strategic areas. His comments on applying for membership during his previous tenure suggest that this consideration has accelerated at the highest level of government and also demonstrate the continuity of policy thinking across various administrations.
The timing of these statements, provided while visiting Russia, highlights the practical dimensions of such diplomatic alignment in various key policy areas. As BRICS expansion continues its trajectory in 2025, early application will increasingly challenge economic control in the West and allow Sri Lanka to be strategically positioned in its favor within the block that offers alternative development models.
However, such a move requires careful navigation of existing relationships with traditional partners and careful navigation with donors in many important areas. Continuing negotiations with international creditors, including the International Monetary Fund in Sri Lanka, need to balance the new commitment to the BRICS initiative and the cooperative framework. This balancing act reflects the complex geopolitical reality that small countries face when selecting among competing economic blocs, highlighting the diplomatic challenges of managing multiple international relations simultaneously in several key sectors.
