President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said Russian investors are invited to invest in the Colombo Port City, and in energy, pharmaceutical, ICT, agriculture, infrastructure, oil and gas exploration, and logistics sectors.
The President made these comments during a discussion with Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev who called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday morning (22).
President Rajapaksa also commended Russia’s role as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council in promoting the interests and concerns of developing countries in the areas of peace and security and expressed gratitude for Russia’s strong support to Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions.
Russia extended immense support in Sri Lanka’s fight against terrorism. The President said Sri Lanka is ready to deepen bilateral cooperation in addressing extremism, terrorism, and cyber threats, including sharing of intelligence information and countering terrorist financing. Patrushev serves as the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation since 2008, having previously served in the Committee for State Security (KGB) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and of the Federal Security Service of Russia.The 65th anniversary of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Russia will be celebrated on February 19, 2022. President Rajapaksa said Patrushev’s visit will further strengthen the ties between the two countries.
The President also thanked Patrushev for providing 5,000 doses of Sputnik vaccines signifying Russia’s assistance in making the Covid-19 vaccination drive a success, and for the 49,379 Russian tourists who arrived in Sri Lanka last year even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Yury Materiy, Deputy Secretaries of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Aleksander Venediktov and Oleg Khramov, Secretary to the President Dr. P.B.Jayasundera, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage and a team of Russian diplomats were also present at the meeting,” the President’s Media Division said.
