Sri Lanka exploring possibility of purchasing modern weapons from Russia says Ambassador

<p>Sri Lanka is exploring the possibility of purchasing modern weapons from Russia, Yury Matery, the Russian Ambassador to Colombo, reportedly said.</p> <p>In an interview with RIA Novosti, the Ambassador stated that military-technical cooperation between Russia and Sri Lanka has been developing over the recent years.</p> <p>Matery recalled Russia’s military assistance to Sri Lanka during the armed conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) where they provided the Sri Lankan security forces with helicopters, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and small arms.</p> <p>The Ambassador also mentioned that the Sri Lankan leadership expressed an interest in the production of gas and oil in the North of the island, in the Gulf of Mannar, when they recently met with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavroy.</p> <p>Last month,&nbsp;Lavrov announced that&nbsp;the Russian government&nbsp;will continue to provide arms and ammunition to the Sri Lankan military, despite widespread concerns over rights violations.</p> <p>See more from Colombo Page <u><a href="http://www.colombopage.com/archive_20A/Feb11_1581436035CH.php">here</a></u>.</p>