The Russian government will continue to provide arms and ammunition to the Sri Lankan military, despite widespread concerns over rights violations, announced Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov during a visit to Colombo last week.

Addressing reporters in Colombo, Lavrov said that “Sri Lanka and Russia work together very closely, especially, the law enforcement and defense ministries”.

“We are ready to continue to provide the Sri Lankan forces with all the weapons they need for security,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena claimed that “under the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two countries have taken a new friendly approach”.

He went on to state,

“In the past three decades, we have also fought against ruthless terrorism in our respective countries. We face numerous challenges in multilateral fora, where we continue to support each other. I take this opportunity to extend Sri Lanka’s deep appreciation to the Government of the Russian Federation for its unequivocal support for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Therefore, a strong sense of understanding, solidarity and mutual respect underpin the Sri Lanka –Russia bilateral engagement.”

“Our two countries will continue our cooperation and dialogue to pursue shared interests in the United Nations, including in the Human Rights Council in Geneva.”

See more from Colombo Page here and the Sri Lankan foreign minister here.