PM asks Russian billionaire to consider investments in Port City, Hambantota Port

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who held discussions yesterday with Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, who is presently in Sri Lanka, has requested the Russian tycoon to consider investments here especially in the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port, the Daily Mirror learns.

In closed door discussions which took place yesterday, which was also attended by Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Prime Minister Rajapaksa requested Melnichenko to consider Sri Lanka for possible investments to which the Russian tycoon said he would send a team to Sri Lanka soon to study the possibility.

The Russian tycoon,whose net worth is US 17.9 billion dollars,owns companies which specialise in coal,fertilizer,logistics, and electricity.his companies have employed over 100,000 people and have invested some 21 billion US dollars into fertilizer and coal production over the past 15 years.

The Daily Mirror learns that Melnichenko arrived in Sri Lanka two weeks ago,and his purpose of visit was purely for tourism and not for investment possibilities. He arrived in the country with his wife and two children,on a private jet and has toured many tourist locations in the country including Adams Peak. He celebrated his birthday in the country on March 8. Upon his arrival to Colombo city yesterday,the Russian tycoon met Prime Minister Rajapaksa and has said he will look into the possibility of investments here,on the Prime Minister’s request.he has no investments in Asia.

He later visited the Colombo Port City and was briefed on its construction progress and future developments.

As of March 2021, the Russian industrialist was ranked 95th in the Forbes world’s billionaires list, and 7th richest in Russia. Melnichenko owns the world’s largest private sail assisted motor yacht named ‘A’ which is estimated at 400 million US dollars.(JAMILA HUSAIN)