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Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - 05.09 GMT |
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Two agreements
signed during President's visit to Russia |
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Two
agreements
were
signed
between
Sri
Lanka
and the
Russian
Federation
during
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa's
visit to
Russia.
The
first,
an MOU
for the
promotion
of mass
communications,
is aimed
at
augmenting
people-to-people
contact
and
cultural
relations
between
the two
countries.
The
other
relates
to a
line of
credit
for 300
million
US
Dollars
which
will be
used
among
others
for the
purchase
of
multi-purpose
equipment
including
for
defence,
the
Minister
for
Foreign
Affairs,
Rohitha
Bogollagama
said in
a
statement.
The
visit by
the
President
is the
first
high-level
visit to
Russia
after 36
years,
the last
being by
Prime
Minister
Sirimavo
Bandaranaike
in 1974,
the
Minister
adds and
states
that it
is a
matter
of
significance
that the
first
visit
abroad
by the
President
following
his
decisive
victory
at the
recently
concluded
presidential
election
was to
the
friendly
nation
of
Russia.
Following
is the
full
text of
the
statement
by the
Minister
of
Foreign
Affairs
on the
visit of
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
to the
Russian
Federation
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
undertook
a
three-day
official
visit to
Russia
from 6th
to 9th
February
2010. It
is a
matter
of
significance
that the
first
visit
abroad
by the
President
following
his
decisive
victory
at the
recently
concluded
presidential
election
was to
the
friendly
nation
of
Russia.
President
Rajapaksa
was
awarded
an
Honorary
Doctorate
by the
Peoples’
Friendship
University
of the
Russian
Federation
at the
50th
anniversary
celebrations
of the
University,
in
recognition
of the
President’s
“outstanding
contribution
towards
fostering
world
peace”.
The
President
in
accepting
this
prestigious
award
observed
that he
is doing
so with
“a deep
sense of
humility
and
happiness
…
because
the
accomplishments
mentioned
in the
citation
stem not
from my
individual
effort,
but from
the
efforts
of the
people
of Sri
Lanka”.
The
President
also
warmly
felicitated
the
Peoples’
Friendship
University
on its
50th
anniversary
and
recalled
with
gratitude
its
magnificent
and
generous
contribution
in
enabling
over the
years
tens of
thousands
of
students
from the
developing
world,
including
Sri
Lanka,
to
obtain
within
its
halls, a
first
class
University
education.
He
observed
that the
People’s
Friendship
University
therefore
symbolizes
Russia’s
longstanding
commitment
to work
towards
strong
and
enduring
partnerships
at the
bilateral
and
international
level,
designed
to
collectively
advance
development
and
prosperity.
During
the
visit,
President
Rajapaksa
met with
his
Russian
counterpart,
President
Dmitry
Medvedev
with
whom he
had
useful
discussions
on
matters
of
mutual
concern,
including
global
and
regional
developments.
During
the
bilateral
discussions,
there
was
general
agreement
between
the two
leaders
that
peace
and
development
in the
21st
century
world
can best
be
attained
through
a
mixture
of
multilateral
and
regional
cooperation,
based on
the
principles
of
friendship
and
respect
for
sovereignty
and
non-interference
in
internal
affairs.
President
Rajapaksa
made
special
reference
to the
strong
support
extended
to Sri
Lanka by
Russia
and some
other
friendly
nations
during
the
Government’s
operation
to
defeat
terrorism
last
year. He
observed
that
Russia’s
considerable
global
influence
was very
helpful
in
ensuring
that the
attempts
by the
terrorist
forces
to
leverage
world
sentiment
in their
favour
and
escape,
did not
materialize.
During
the
meeting
with his
Russian
counterpart
President
Rajapaksa
also
recalled
with
appreciation
the
longstanding
development
cooperation
and
other
assistance
received
from the
Russian
Federation.
On the
economic
front,
the
President
shared
with
President
Medvedev
a series
of
proposals
for
stepping
up
bilateral
economic
ties and
increasing
the
volumes
of
investment
flow
between
the two
nations.
The two
leaders
discussed,
among
other
issues,
cooperation
in the
field of
energy
(including
petroleum
exploration
and
petroleum
resources
development,
and
technology
transfer
in the
area of
renewable
energy),
and in
the
areas of
aviation
and
tourism.
President
Rajapaksa
reiterated
Sri
Lanka’s
commitment
to
seeing
in the
near
future a
speedy,
sustainable
and
sharp
rise in
two-way
trade
between
the two
countries.
The
visit
also saw
the
finalization
of two
Agreements.
The
first,
an MOU
for the
promotion
of mass
communications,
is aimed
at
augmenting
people-to-people
contact
and
cultural
relations
between
the two
countries.
The
other
relates
to a
line of
credit
for 300
million
US
Dollars
which
will be
used
among
others
for the
purchase
of
multi-purpose
equipment
including
for
defence.
Given
that a
key
event of
the
visit
was the
conferment
of the
Honorary
Degree,
the
President
conducted
detailed
discussions
with the
Rector
of the
People’s
Friendship
University
Dr.
Vladimir
Filippov,
who has
earlier
served
as the
Minister
of
Education
of the
Russian
Federation.
Dr.
Filippov
was keen
that the
tradition
of
mutually
beneficial
academic
collaboration
between
the
University
and Sri
Lanka
should
continue
to be
maintained
at a
strong
level.
Accordingly,
it was
agreed
that a
system
of
concessionary
tuition
fees be
evolved
with
tailor-made
courses
appropriate
to Sri
Lanka’s
human
resource
needs.
During
the
visit,
the
President
also
participated
in a Sri
Lanka
Cultural
Show
organised
by the
Sri
Lanka
Embassy
in
Moscow
in
association
with the
Peoples’
Friendship
University,
which
was
attended
by
Russian
political
and
business
leaders
as well
as the
Sri
Lankan
community.
The
President
also
declared
open a
photographic
exhibition
on Sri
Lanka
and
conducted
discussions
with the
expatriate
Sri
Lankan
community
in
Russia.
Sri
Lanka
and
Russia
have
always
had a
close
and
cordial
relationship.
The
current
visit by
the
President
is the
first
high-level
visit to
Russia
after 36
years,
the last
being by
Prime
Minister
Sirimavo
Bandaranaike
in 1974.
Both
countries
have had
their
own
pre-occupations
during
the
interim
period.
Russia
went
through
a change
in its
political
philosophy
and
structure,
while
Sri
Lanka
had to
grapple
with a
long-standing
terrorist
onslaught
on the
country’s
sovereignty
and
territorial
integrity.
Today,
it is a
matter
of
profound
satisfaction
for us
in Sri
Lanka to
witness
the
dynamic
growth
of
Russia
under
the
strong
and
experienced
governance
provided
by
President
Medvedev.
This
visit
therefore
marks an
auspicious
moment
for both
countries.
I
accompanied
the
President
on the
visit in
my
capacity
as the
Minister
of
Foreign
Affairs,
along
with
Ministers
and
senior
officials
of the
relevant
line
Ministries.
They
included
the
Minister
of
Export
Development
and
International
Trade
Hon.
Prof.
G.L
Peiris;
the
Minister
of Mass
Media
and
Information
Hon.
Anura
Priyadarshana
Yapa;
the
Minister
of
Education
Hon.
A.D.
Susil
Premajayantha;
the
Minister
of Power
Hon.
Mahindananda
Aluthgamage;
and
Secretary
to the
President
and
Secretary
to the
Ministry
of
Foreign
Affairs.
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