Russian Nuclear Power Team to Arrive in Sri Lanka This Month

Tue, Jan 1, 2013,
Jan 01, Colombo: A team of Russian nuclear scientists will arrive in Sri Lanka this month to study the country's energy sector outlook, the government said today.
Russia has offered to enhance its support to Sri Lanka in many fields including trade, energy, economic and socials sectors and the visit by the Russian nuclear power team is to extend their support to Sri Lanka's power and energy sector.
The new Russian Ambassador in Colombo Alexander A. Karchava has extended Russia's assistance to Sri Lanka when he called on the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiyutheen, in Colombo last month.
Karchava has noted that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries has been growing "from strength to strength" since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1957 and the bilateral trade between the two countries topped $ 360 million in2011, an increase of 34% in comparison to 2010.
However, the Ambassador has underscored the need to increase the trade volume further as it has not reached the full potential.
"However, despite this trade volume, we believe there is yet unrealized trade potentials between the two countries which we can synergize jointly," the Russian Ambassador has said.
Minister Bathiyutheen noting that almost 89% of Sri Lanka's exports to Russia is the Pure Ceylon Tea, has pointed out the need to diversify the trade.
The Russian diplomat has also expressed interest in the proposed Trincomalee Port and Industrial Zone Development project.
Karchava has noted that there is a strong presence of Sri Lankans in many top Russian education institutions while almost 21,000 Russian tourists visited Sri Lanka this year and suggested to strengthen people to people exchanges.