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Sri Lanka intends to formally seek membership of the BRICS group of nations, the South Asian country’s ambassador to Russia announced on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Janitha Abeywickrema Liyanage confirmed that “Sri Lanka is planning to join BRICS+” and expressed hope that accession would provide “an opportunity to ensure both transport and food security.” The BRICS group of non-Western economies – which previously comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – has recently seen a major wave of expansion. Earlier this year, four nations – Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt and the UAE – became members, and more are expected in the future. Colombia, Venezuela, Thailand, Cuba, Senegal, Nigeria, Bahrain, Belarus and Pakistan are among the countries recently expressing an intention to become part of BRICS. The Sri Lankan ambassador also announced that a project under which tourists from Russia can receive visas free of charge to visit Sri Lanka could be extended beyond April 30. Initially, their validity was set to expire on March 31, but was prolonged for a month. “The issue is now being considered, perhaps there will be a further extension,” Liyanage said, noting that last winter several new direct flight routes were established between Russia and Sri Lanka, boosting tourism to the island nation. Liyanage also announced that Sri Lanka plans to open three new Russian language centers, in cooperation with Russian universities. She explained that such centers are already functioning, and that 138 people have graduated from Russian language courses. According to the ambassador, there are currently about a thousand Sri Lankan students studying at Russian universities and looking for employment. She explained that the Sri Lankan hospitality sector is actively developing, and that the importance of learning Russian has grown due to the influx of Russian travelers – who represent the “largest tourist flow” to the island. She noted that the Russian language is popular in Sri Lanka because “relations between the countries go back many years and they have always been warm and friendly.” The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Colombia wants to join BRICS4/18/2024 Colombia is seeking to become a full-fledged member of the BRICS group as soon as possible, and Brazil will promote its candidacy, according to a joint statement from the leaders of Brazil and Colombia, published after their meeting in Bogota.
BRICS – which previously comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – has seen a major wave of expansion. Four more countries – Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates – joined the group at the start of this year, and further additions are expected in the future. “President [Petro expressed Colombia’s interest in joining BRICS as a full member as soon as possible, and President Lula welcomed this initiative and promised to promote Colombia’s candidacy,” the statement from Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Gustavo Petro reads. Several other nations have expressed an interest in joining the group of non-Western economies, and some have already formally submitted applications, including Venezuela, Thailand, Senegal, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bahrain, and Pakistan. In February, Venezuela announced it is hoping to secure BRICS membership at the group’s next summit in Russia in October. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has stated that the emergence of a new multipolar world is “irreversible,” describing the group as the “future of humanity.” Nigeria in March announced its plans to join BRICS within the next two years, viewing membership as a way to make its voice heard on the global stage. Some 25 countries are expecting to apply for membership during the group’s summit in the Russian city of Kazan in October, the South African ambassador to Russia, Mzuvukile Jeff Maqetuka. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), BRICS currently accounts for as much as 36% of global GDP in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), compared to just over 30% for the G7 group. The head of the New Development Bank (NDB), Dilma Rousseff, said in February that the BRICS member states will overtake the G7 in their share of nominal global GDP within the next four years. According to her, the group’s share of global economic output will rise to 40% by 2028, while that of the G7 group of developed nations will decline to 27.8%. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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