Sri Lanka and Russia has convened the 11th Round of Bilateral Political Consultations today (2) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism of Sri Lanka in Colombo.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, both sides reviewed the broad spectrum of bilateral relations and discussed future measures to enhance the scope and depth of the relationship.
The discussion focused on strengthening cooperation in the areas of tourism, education, defense, technical cooperation, trade and investment, as well as sports and cultural cooperation.
As an extension to the ongoing dialogue with the Russian Government, discussions further focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of energy, petroleum, coal and fertilizer.
The two sides also agreed to set a benchmark to increase bilateral trade and further elevate the economic engagement between the two countries, the statement said.
The matters relating to the Sri Lankan ex-servicemen serving in the Russian military were also discussed. Recalling the strong partnership between the two countries, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation on issues of mutual interest in multilateral forums.
As the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Russia falls in 2027, both sides agreed to celebrate the anniversary in a befitting manner with a series of planned activities including through high-level visits.
The Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko also met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath where both sides reiterated their resolve to further consolidate the longstanding relations between Sri Lanka and Russia, the statement added.
The consultations were co-chaired by Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Senior officials from the respective Foreign Ministries, and senior representatives from several key agencies in Sri Lanka attended the meeting.
