Sri Lanka-Russia bilateral relations to improve: president 

President Maithripala Sirisena attended the 5th Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed regional issues including measures to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The challenges faced due to the US imposing sanctions on goods imported by Sri Lanka from Russia were also discussed at the meeting.

Tweeting about his conversation, Sirisena said: “It was wonderful to catch up with my good friend and the leader of Sri Lanka’s friendly nation of Russia Vladimir Putin yesterday. During our special discussion, we deliberated on important measures to curb extremism and ensure people’s safety in Asia.”

The President’s Media Division also reported that Sirisena extended an invitation to Putin to visit Sri Lanka in the near future.

According to the CICA website, the summit’s aim is to bring together high-level delegations from member countries, and provide a platform for discussing and resolving remaining and new problems encountered in Asia, as well as promoting initiatives and finding effective mechanisms through political and other instruments, which would help gradual regional integration.

The 2019 summit held in Dushanbe, the capital and largest city in Tajikistan, is considered an example of continued efforts to transform Asia into a harmonious region through comprehensive and in-depth dialogue.