Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe says he believed Russia was not isolated on the international stage and continued to interact with nations from the Asian region.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Valdai Discussion Club in St. Petersburg, Russia, Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted the importance of BRICS, the economic and political bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Ranil Wickremesinghe further explained that during his Presidency, an application for BRICS membership was made as it was recognized that this grouping would soon be the largest economic grouping.
The former Sri Lankan President went on to note that for countries such as Sri Lanka, which are not part of the Western developed world, BRICS provided a grouping that has been absent since the collapse of the Non-Aligned Movement. (Newswire)