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.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.