Sri Lanka and Russia to maintain strong bonds and expand bilateral cooperation

May 08, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and Russia should continue to maintain their strong friendship and close bilateral ties, irrespective of international trend,President Maithripala Sirisena had said.

This was discussed when Ambassador of Russia to Sri Lanka, Alexander A Karchava, called on the President at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (May 07), the president office said in a statement.

The Ambassador conveyed Russian President Putin’s best wishes to the President and congratulated him on his successful implementation of several important programs under the new governments 100-day program.

Sri Lanka and Russia are expected to enter into several new Agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to expand bilateral cooperation in fields such as energy, trade and commerce, agriculture, education, judiciary and defense, the president office said.

Ambassador Karchava said his country has offered three additional scholarships for Sri Lankan researchers to study Nuclear Physics in Russia. Three agreements on cooperation in the field of law will also be signed later this year.

The Envoy also reiterated Russia would always stand by Sri Lanka at international forums.