Sri Lanka, Russia hold defence talks in Moscow

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) met Russian Deputy Defence Minister Vasily Osmakov in Moscow yesterday (May 26) during his official visit to the Russian Federation.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Defence Secretary’s participation in the 1st International Forum on Security and the Annual Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues, which is being held in Moscow from May 26 to 29.

During the discussions, both sides exchanged views on evolving regional and global security challenges and reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Russian Federation in areas of mutual interest.

The discussions mainly focused on military-technical cooperation, capacity-building initiatives, and opportunities to enhance training exchanges between the two countries.

The two sides also discussed matters concerning former Sri Lankan military personnel currently serving in the Russian Federation.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Russia, Shobini Gunasekara, along with embassy officials including Counsellor Mihiravi Dissanayake and Counsellor (Defence) Air Commodore Dinesh Kasagala, were also present at the meeting.