Source tamilguardian 09 March 2022

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa met with a senior Russian official in Colombo this week, as his cash-stricken government looked to Moscow for a US$ 300 million Credit Line even as international sanctions continued to grow.

Rajapaksa met with a Russian trade delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Alexey Gruzdev, who handed him a list of “proposals for Sri Lanka”. The two countries, both accused of war crimes, have been seeking to grow ties between them.

The meeting comes as Sri Lanka’s envoy in Moscow Janitha Liyanage confirmed that her government has sought a US$ 300 million Credit Line from Russia to purchase crude oil, gas and coal.

According to reports, the ambassador said the “two countries have enjoyed very close ties in almost all fields”.

In recent days, both states have come to each other’s defence at the United Nations. At the UN General Assembly, Sri Lanka abstained on a vote which passed overwhelmingly in favour of condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine. And at the UN Human Rights Council, Russia joined Belarus, North Korea and Syria in defending Sri Lanka’s human rights record.

Read more on the growing ties between Russia and Sri Lanka below: