SL-Russia bilateral talks to revitalise longstanding ties

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold bilateral talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during his stay in Colombo today, a statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

  Mr. Lavrov was to arrive in Sri Lanka on January 13 for bilateral discussions with his counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena. 

“This is the first official visit from the Russian  Federation following the presidential election last November and the appointment of a new Cabinet in Sri  Lanka. Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Lavrov’s upcoming visit to the country, which is being undertaken after ten years, will renew and revitalise longstanding bilateral relations. Minister Lavrov will meet with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during his stay in Colombo. The official discussions between Foreign Affairs Minister Gunawardena with his Russian counterpart are expected to review the bilateral engagement and open new avenues of cooperation in the economic, security, education, tourism and science and technology sectors. Close engagement in regional and multilateral fora to pursue shared solutions to common challenges will also feature in the discussions,” the statement said.