Russia not isolated on international stage: Ex-President Ranil

Despite a prolonged fallout with Europe, the United States and Western nations due to the Ukraine conflict, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe asserts that Russia is not isolated on the international stage and is continuing to work with nations in the Asian region.

Former President Wickremesinghe made this remark while speaking to media on the sidelines of the Valdai Discussion Club in St. Petersburg.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe also highlighted the importance of BRICS, which is an informal group of states comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The former President is of the firm belief that Sri Lanka should be part of BRICS, and therefore during his Presidency an application for its membership was made after it was recognized that this grouping would soon be the largest economic grouping.

Commenting further, the former President stated that for countries such as Sri Lanka, which are not part of the Western developed world, BRICS provide a grouping that has been absent since the collapse of the Non-Aligned Movement.