Sri Lanka and the Russian Federation have successfully negotiated a bilateral treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the two countries in Moscow.

During negotiations, the two sides exchanged views on current developments relating to enhanced cooperation on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and emphasized the need to cooperate at the international, regional and bilateral levels, in particular in the combating of international terrorism and organized crime.

At the end of the three day negotiations, the two sides initialed an Agreed text of a mutual legal assistance Treaty in criminal matters.

Sri Lanka has recently concluded several bilateral mutual legal assistance treaties in the context of combating serious international crimes such as those relating to terrorism and narcotic trafficking.

The current text which was successfully negotiated in Moscow, is due to be signed between Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama, and the Russian Foreign Minister during latter’s forthcoming visit to Sri Lanka in October 2009.