Russian–Sri Lankan relations

As of July 7, 2022

RUSSIAN - SRI LANKAN RELATIONS

The diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Sri Lanka were established on February 19, 1957.

Russia has always developed its bilateral relations with Sri Lanka in an environment of friendship, mutual understanding and amiability. Our countries have similar approaches to the solution of the majority of pressing international or regional challenges. There are no contradictions or unresolved issues in our relations.

Moscow and Colombo maintain a close political dialogue at the highest level. The first working visit by a Sri Lankan President (H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa) to Russia took place in 2010, during which he met then President of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr. Dmitry Medvedev. In 2011 H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Russia to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. On the event’s sidelines he had a second meeting with H.E. Mr. Dmitry Medvedev.

On March 22-24, 2017 President of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Maithripala Sirisena was in Moscow on an official visit. He held fruitful bilateral negotiations with President of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr. Dmitry Medvedev. On June 15, 2019 President of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin met President of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Maithripala Sirisena on the sidelines of the 5th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

On July 6, 2022, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Russia and Sri Lanka have regular interparliamentary exchanges. In February and September 2014 two parliamentary delegations led by State Duma Deputy Chairmen Mr. Sergey Zheleznyak and Mr. Nikolai Levichev respectively visited Colombo. A delegation headed by Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Mr. Ilyas Umakhanov visited Sri Lanka in November-December 2015. In October 2017 the Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation, led by H.E. Mr. Karu Jayasuriya, Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament, participated in the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (St. Petersburg, Russia) and had meetings with Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Federation Mr. Evgeniy Bushmin and Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Mr. Pyotr Tolstoy. The Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation headed by Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation Hon. Mr. Arjuna Ranatunga participated in the Second International Forum «Development of Parliamentarism» that was held in Moscow in July 2019. 

On April 7, 2021, the Sri Lanka - Russia Parliamentary Friendship Association resumed its activities.

Both countries’ foreign ministries maintain regular bilateral contacts. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov paid a working visit to Colombo in October 2009, during which he held talks with President of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Rohitha Bogollagama. In May 2012 Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. G.L. Peiris made an official visit to the Russian Federation. On the sidelines of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2013 H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov and H.E. Mr. G.L. Peiris signed a Joint Statement between the Russian Federation and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka declaring that both Sides will not be the first to place weapons in Outer Space.

In June 2015 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Mr. Ajith P. Perera participated in the High Level Conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on «Security and Stability in the Region of SCO» held in Moscow.

On January 14, 2020, H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov held talks with President of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and Minister for Foreign Relations, H.E. Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena. 

On June 7, 2021, H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena.

On March 23, 2000 an Inter-ministerial consultations mechanism was created in accordance with the Protocol signed in Colombo by the Russian and Sri Lankan Ministries of Foreign Affairs. The most recent consultations at the Deputy Foreign Minister level were held on October 8, 2021 in Moscow.

The law enforcement and defence agencies of the two countries have established close ties. In May 2017 Inspector General of Police Mr. Pujith Jayasundara visited Russia to participate in the VIII International Meeting of High Ranking Officials Responsible for Security Matters (Zavidovo, Tver Region of Russia). In April 2018 Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. Kapila Waidyaratne PC attended the «VII Moscow Conference on International Security». On June 26, 2019 on the sidelines of the International Military-Technical Forum «Army-2019» (Kubinka, Moscow region of Russia) Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia Valery Gerasimov held talks with Chief of Defence Staff of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne.

On November 22-24, 2021, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolay Patrushev paid a working visit to Sri Lanka. He met with the President of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Gotabay Rajapaksa, Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, as well as held consultations with the Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratna.

The legal framework of our bilateral relations has been expanding in recent years. In 2015 Russia and Sri Lanka signed the Treaties on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, on Extradition, on Transfer of Sentenced Persons as well as Agreements on visa free travel for holders of diplomatic and official/service passports and on the establishment of the Inter-Governmental Commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation. On February 11, 2016 the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Mass Communications was signed. On March 24, 2017 the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Fisheries, two Memoranda of Understanding on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation and on Cooperation in the field of Tourism and the Protocol on Cultural Cooperation for the years 2017-2019 were signed. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Military Cooperation between Russia and Sri Lanka was signed on September 3, 2018 during the visit of the Sri Lankan delegation led by Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. Kapila Waidyaratne to Moscow. On October 25, 2019, within the framework of the International Homeland Security Exhibition "Interpolitex-2019" which took place in Moscow, an Agreement on cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defense of Sri Lanka.

In 2021, the trade turnover between Russia and Sri Lanka amounted to $373 million (Russian export - $89.5 million, import - $283.5 million).

On February 10-12, 2016 the first session of the newly established Russia-Sri Lanka Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was held in Moscow, followed by the second on October 24-26, 2017 in Colombo. On June 15, 2021, a meeting of the Co-Chairs of the Commission took place via videoconference.

The Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has been operational since 2001.

Russia and Sri Lanka maintain humanitarian contacts. On January 22-27, 2019, the delegation from the Russian Friendship Society with Sri Lanka led by its President Valery Tokarev (space pilot) was in Colombo for the purpose of further strengthening the bilateral ties between our countries. During the visit a bust of the world’s first cosmonaut - Yuri Gagarin was unveiled at the Colombo Public Library.

The Friendship Society «Sri Lanka – Russia» in Colombo also continues to function successfully. The Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Colombo organizes Russian language courses, ballet classes and chess training for Sri Lankan children and provides art and musical education.

For the 2021/2022 academic year Sri Lanka received 40 Russian Government scholarships for its citizens to study in Russia. As of January 2022, around 200 Sri Lankans are studying in Russian universities on a state-subsidized basis.

Upon the request from Sri Lanka Russia provided humanitarian assistance amounting to $24 million in August 2017 following the destructions caused by floods and landslides across the island. In January 2022, Russia transferred $5.5 million for the World Food Programme (WFP) to implement projects related to nutrition at school levels.