Sri Lanka looks to Kazakhstan for energy cooperation

Colombo, July 02 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan have explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector, with Kazakhstan expressing its willingness to support Sri Lanka's refined fuel requirements during high-level bilateral talks held on Tuesday.

The discussions took place between Minister of Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy Anura Karunatilleke and Kazakhstan's resident Ambassador to Sri Lanka Sergey Viktorov at the ministry premises.

During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on expanding bilateral trade, stating that commercial ties remain relatively modest despite Kazakhstan importing tea from Sri Lanka. Given that Kazakhstan is a major exporter of oil, gas and mineral resources, discussions also focused on Sri Lanka's refined fuel needs, with Ambassador Viktorov expressing Kazakhstan's readiness to cooperate and provide support in the sector.

The Ministry said that the meeting also focused on enhancing tourism cooperation. More than 11,000 Kazakh tourists visited Sri Lanka last year, and both sides discussed the possibility of increasing tourist arrivals by extending Air Astana's seasonal services into year-round operations. At present, the airline operates flights to Sri Lanka only during the peak tourist season from December to April.

Minister Karunatilleke welcomed the proposal, stating that official discussions with the relevant authorities could commence once a formal request is submitted.

Diplomatic relations also featured prominently in the discussions. Ambassador Viktorov thanked the Sri Lankan government for facilitating direct diplomatic engagement following the establishment of Kazakhstan's first embassy in Sri Lanka in July 2025.

Minister Karunatilleke, meanwhile, expressed Sri Lanka's intention to establish an embassy in Astana, saying the move would further strengthen bilateral ties with Kazakhstan while enhancing Sri Lanka's diplomatic engagement with other countries in the Central Asian region.

Additional Secretary V. Jagatheesan and several senior ministry officials also attended the meeting.