President Vladimir Putin assured that his government will take steps to increase trade and commerce, economic investment and defence cooperation with Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the two countries will establish cooperation in several sectors, including fisheries, defence and tourism.
Russia expressed interest in investing in several areas to increase bilateral trade. The Russian ministerial delegation that participated in bilateral discussions said, Russian entrepreneurs desire to invest in the ailing tea plantations to restore them and export tea to Russia. The investment interests were expressed after President Maithripala Sirisena, in his initial remarks during the bilateral meeting with the Russian delegation headed by President Vladimir Putin explained his economic development strategies and urged development assistance and investments.
Minister of Science, Technology and Research, Susil Premajayantha pointed out during the talks that Sri Lanka needs Russian technology to upgrade the energy sector and suggested that Russia could assist in converting the current coal based power plants at Kerawalapitiya and Kelanitissa to gas. “Sri Lanka requested Russia to provide technology to convert the plants from coal to gas. Gas is more environment friendly than coal. Furthermore, we can have uninterrupted gas supplies from Russia,” he said. In addition, we can set up another gas based plant to generate 500 megawatt of electricity with Russian assistance, he said. “Russian energy giant, Gasprom also expressed interest in investing in Sri Lanka,” Minister Premajayantha disclosed.
President Putin, expressing keenness to expand bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, appointed his Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Ilya Vasilievich Shestakov, who is also the Head of Federal Agency for Fisheries to co-chair the Committee on Economic Cooperation with Sri Lanka.
President Sirisena, emphasizing the need to cooperate in the tourism sector, requested the Russian leader to resume the direct flight to Colombo by Aeroflot, which was introduced 52 years ago, but stopped a few decades back. Minister of Tourism, John Amaratunga said, there is a steady increase in tourist arrivals from Russia and that direct flight connections would improve it further.
Expertise
Fisheries is one of the areas that Russia agreed to support. In addition to providing expertise to upgrade fishing, Russia also agreed to explore possibilities in investing in the inland fisheries sector.
Most of the areas of cooperation were covered at President Sirisena’s meeting with President Putin at the Green Room in Kremlin on the second day of the visit. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Ambassador Dr Saman Weerasinghe also attended the discussions.
Agreement
On the following day another round of bilateral discussions were held in the Kremlin in which the Chairman of the Russian Government and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev headed the Russian delegation.
The Sri Lankan delegation comprised, Science and Technology Research Minister, Susil Premajayantha, Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Minister, John Amaratunga, Skills Development and Vocational Training Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Minister S B Navinna, Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekara and Deputy Minister of Tourism Arundika Fernando.
At the end of the bilateral discussions, the two countries entered into a new Agreement of Cooperation in Fisheries and two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to expand bilateral cooperation in several fields, such as, energy, trade and commerce, agriculture, education, judiciary and defence.
Russia extended a new credit line of US Dollars 135 million for the purchase of defence equipment and other Russian products.
Giving the background leading to the state visit, Sri Lankan Ambassador Dr Saman Weerasinghe said, the personal rapport established between President Sirisena and President Putin resulted in the invitation to the Sri Lankan leader to pay an official visit to Russia.
He said, when the two leaders met in the BRICS Summit in Goa in India last year, they held a lengthy discussion and the trust and friendship that developed at the meeting was evident, as within a few days of returning to Moscow, President Putin sent the written invitation for a state visit. As a result, when President Sirisena arrived at the Kremlin,he was warmly received by President Vladimir Putin.
The two Presidents referring to the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Russia agreed to take effective steps to ensure strong bilateral relations between the two countries.
Invitation
The President, recalling his last meeting with the Russian President in Goa last year thanked him for extending an invitation and ensuring support for economic development in Sri Lanka, as well as, for Russia’s enormous support in international forums. President Sirisena said, he is proud to mention the fact that the Founder of his party S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1957.
The President also participated in the ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Moscow. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Igor Morgulov said, “the close friendship which has been built between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will create a new landmark in the bilateral relations between the two countries”.
Support
The deputy Foreign Minister of Russia further stated that Russia will always stand with Sri Lanka to safeguard its sovereignty and independence. “Russia is ready to extend any required support to Sri Lanka at the international fora. We will also assist Sri Lanka for its development in the fields of economy, trade, education and culture”, he said.
The representatives of the government of Russia who attended the ceremony said, the official visit of President Sirisena, at the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, is significant to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Russian cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova,the first woman to travel in space and Cosmonaut Vladimir Lyakhov also participated at the occasion.
The Russian President presented a significant gift to President Sirisena symbolizing the close relationship between the two countries.
This special gift was a royal sword (Kastane) of the Kandyan era of the 19th century.
This sword had been brought to England in 1906 and later bought by Russia at the leading archeological artifact auction house, Sotheby’s in London.
The Kastane (sword, hanger) was the major attribute of the noblemen of Sri Lanka. People who were not noble by origin were not eligible to bear or even keep a Kastane. Therefore, the purpose of such arm was to underline the stature of the bearer. According to Alex Freger (Tel Aviv), a high-profile Israeli expert on bladed weapons, the item subject to expertise descends from the Kandyan rulers (kings).
The Kandyan kings had always played an essential political and religious role in Sri Lanka. The temple which still keeps custody of the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, was located in the premises of the Royal Palace and up to now is the destination of pilgrims from all over the world.
The Kastane was auctioned at Sotheby’s Auction House on 19 December 2006 in the elite section of “Property of a Princely Family and Other Aristocratic Estates”.
Following the bilateral meeting between the Presidents of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Maithripala Sirisena. the following bilateral agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed:
- Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on cooperation in the field of Fisheries
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Science, Technology & Research of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation
- Protocol of Cultural Cooperation between the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for the years 2017-2019