Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane represented Sri Lanka at the BRICS Plus Outreach Dialogue held in Kazan, 24 October 2024. The Outreach Dialogue followed the conclusion of the BRICS Summit 22-24 October 2024.
The 16th BRICS Summit and Outreach was chaired by President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and was attended by 35 Leaders (or their representatives), as well as the UNSG. The BRICS member States are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE. Brazil will take over the Chair of BRICS in 2025.
The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Kazan Declaration. The Summit also welcomed the considerable interest by countries of the Global South in BRICS and believed that the gradual extension of BRICS ‘partnership’ status was beneficial.
In her address to the BRICS Plus Outreach Dialogue, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane reiterated Sri Lanka’s wish to seek closer association in BRICS and the New Development Bank. Foreign Secretary Wijewardane also outlined the relevance of BRICS in today’s world, the importance of BRICS membership for Sri Lanka, as well as Sri Lanka’s contribution to the Group.
On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane met Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Egypt Ragui El-Etreby, Member of the CPC Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Ma Zhaoxu for bilateral meetings. During these meetings, Sri Lanka’s interest in BRICS and the New Development Bank (NDB) was discussed and Sri Lanka’s interest was welcomed.
Foreign Secretary also met the President of the New Development Bank, Dilma Rousseff.
Charge´ d’Affaires of the Sri Lanka Embassy to Russia P.M Amza and Director General of the Economic Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs K.K Yoganaadan, were part of the Sri Lanka delegation.
The full text of Foreign Secretary’s address is given below.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
26 October 2024
……………………………….
BRICS Outreach Summit, Kazan 24 October 2024
Statement by Aruni Wijewardane , Secretary Foreign Affairs , Sri Lanka
FULL VERSION
Your Excellency President Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation and Chair of BRICS
Excellencies,
Sri Lanka congratulates your Excellency President Vladimir Putin as Chair of the 16th BRICS Summit and for hosting this outreach BRICS PLUS Dialogue .
I also bring you greeting from His Excellency President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was elected as the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka last month. His Excellency President Dissanayake conveys to you his appreciation for this invitation extended to Sri Lanka
Excellency,
Sri Lanka’s bid for membership in BRICS and the New Development Bank is an important aspect of our global outreach.
Excellencies,
Sri Lanka considers BRICS to be an effective partnership to realize our collective aspiration for mutually beneficial cooperation, development and for building resilient economies. The diversity of the group and its expanding list of membership candidates, which includes Sri Lanka, highlights the relevance of BRICS in today’s world. We are pleased that this Summit has approached the subject of BRICS extension in a forward-looking manner, through Partnership status.
Your Excellency,
Sri Lanka shares the aspirations of BRICS for a more equitable and just world, based on solidarity, equality and mutual respect, through inclusive multilateralism. BRICS seeks to give voice and leadership to the Global South in international decision-making, upholding the impartial application of international law within the framework of the UN Charter. This resonates with the objectives of the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver ethical governance which prioritizes growth with equity and justice for the people without discrimination.
Excellency,
As highlighted by BRICS, we consider the need to reform the institutions of global governance including the global financial architecture as an important starting point.
Ongoing transformations in the community of sovereign states must be reflected within the structures of multilateralism, a framework that we greatly value, as it recognizes the valuable principle of sovereign equality to all States, big and small.
Today there is a mismatch between the composition and priorities of the international community and its multilateral institutional structures established in the last century.
These structures were established in a world where there was no pandemic, climate change , sovereign debt , cyberspace, artificial intelligence, globalized financial transactions and sophisticated supply chains. The collective voice of the global South did not exist.
The current state of the world beset by geopolitical and geoeconomic rivalries clearly demonstrate that the structures need to be reformed if we are to effectively maintain peace , security and sustainable development and meet inter alia, the financial , climate , energy, technological and digital challenges of the future.
The composition and nature of the international community has also changed. Several current and prospective members of BRICS present here today, are well on their way, or already are, among the leading economic, technological and political powers of an emerging multi polar world . They were not present at the table as sovereign independent states when these institutions were established.
Clearly these institutions must be made fit for contemporary purpose, as well as representative, legitimate, and democratic.
For example , as a middle-income country Sri Lanka’s ongoing experience with navigating post-pandemic sovereign debt recovery brings into sharp relief that reform is needed to provide a global safety net and a way forward for developing countries in debt distress, touching the lives of hundreds of millions.
Multilateral efforts to advance sustainable development, social inclusion and energy transition cannot be realized when debt service payments must take precedence over investment in public goods, social infrastructure and human development. According to data a significant number of developing countries spend more on interest payments than on either education or health.
We believe that Initiatives such as the New Development Bank (NDB) has the potential to address some of the gaps for financing sustainable and critically important physical and social infrastructure projects in Global South economies. Sri Lanka intends to move forward on its application for membership of the NDB.
Against this background, BRICS leaders have prioritized expanding trade, investment, economic partnerships and people to people contacts to enhance growth and to generate tangible benefits for our people.
In Sri Lanka, as a result of ongoing economic governance, prudent fiscal and monetary reforms and trade expansion measures, we have achieved rapid economic stabilization with an upwardly revised growth rate for 2024. We now look forward to expand mutually supportive potential collaboration with other emerging market economies, such as BRICS.
As we stabilize following a deep economic and sovereign debt crisis and gradually rebuild external buffers we support the momentum in BRICS for the use of national currencies, supplementary financial arrangements and payment systems to enhance mutual trade and to avoid related obstacles.
Excellency,
Sri Lanka’s strategic maritime location in the centre of the Indian Ocean where the busiest East-West sea lanes of communication operate and its digital and human resource infrastructure will be a unique value additions to the BRICS framework. The country is positioned to be a major ocean trading hub, and offers valuable maritime infrastructure including world-class port and transshipment facilities for a Blue Economy. We are a strategic ocean partner in promoting maritime safety and security, marine conservation, and the freedom of navigation.
Mr President ,
On security issues, the Kazan Declaration expresses concern about the situations of open conflict which are continuing in multiple regional and international theaters. Escalation of conflict and vast and wasteful expenditures on weapons which cause immense humanitarian suffering must not replace diplomacy, disarmament, negotiation and the peaceful settlement of crises.
Sri Lanka rejects terrorism and violence , and calls for solutions within the universally agreed framework of the UN Charter, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of all states. We support the impartial application of international law devoid of selectivity, politicization and double standards.
We agree with the Kazan Declaration that the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza must end and we must ensure a ceasefire and the realization of a just and lasting solution for the people of Palestine, within the framework of a two-state solution. We must prevent further escalation of the situation in the region including in Lebanon.
Your Excellency President Putin ,
Sri Lanka considers BRICS an opportunity to be a stakeholder in global decision-making processes that ultimately affect the lives of our people. Sri Lanka’s contributions in regional and multilateral fora, our friendly relations with all states, our openness to trade, tourism, investment and economic engagement including though the private sector, our connectivity with the world though maritime, air and digital infrastructure, and above all our firm commitment to deliver a just and sustainable future for generations to come, position us favorably to be a constructive partner in the BRICS outlook.
Sri Lanka congratulates Brazil, as the future Chair of BRICS and look forward to continue to work with all Members in contributing to the objectives of BRICS .
I thank you Mr President.
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