Minister of Plantation visits Moscow
3-8 July 2014
Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Plantation of Sri Lanka undertook a visit to the Russian Federation from 3-8 July 2014 with an official delegation consists members form the Ministry of Plantation Industries, the Sri Lanka Tea Board and private sector member delegation. The main objectives of the visit were to meeting with the Russian government agents responsible for plantation Industry sector, visit and familiarization with the updates of the tea packing plants, large scale supermarkets and strengthening of the existing market ties.
Hon. Minister and the delegation arrived at the Domodedovo Airport and His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga; Ambassador of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation received the Hon Minster and the delegation at the Airport.
Hon. Samarasinghe met with the Hon. Volkov Andrei Valanthinavich Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Russia on the 4 July where Hon. Valanthinavich, welcomed the Sri Lankan delegation at the Ministry. He stated that Russia is the biggest importer of Sri Lankan tea and historically Ceylon tea is popular & consumers like Ceylon tea very much. He further said that the Ministry is positively evaluating Sri Lanka’s Corporation and they are ready to give necessary assistance to Sri Lanka to develop this corporation further.
He expressed that the Russian side is keen to enlarge mutually beneficial corporation in Agriculture and with the same aim, a visit of Deputy Minister of Agriculture (in relation to fisheries industry) visited Sri Lanka during the month of August 2013 and met with Hon. Basil Rajapaksa.
Hon. Minister Samarasinghe thanked Hon. Deputy Minister for giving the opportunity of meeting and extended the greetings of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka to the His Excellency President of the Russian Federation through the Deputy Minister.
He appreciated the support extended by the Russian Federation during the difficult times of the Sri Lanka specially at Human rights councils etc. he stated that he privately know the support extended by the Russian Federation , as he lead theses delegation. He mentioned that the development of the war affected area is now 23 – 24% and the overall country development is 7%. He stated that the trade balance can be improved by buying more goods form the Russia. He further stated that all the points discussed at the meeting will be submitted as a report to the Cabinet of Ministers in Sri Lanka for further information and action.
Further, they continued to discuss on the supply of Mineral fertilizers to Sri Lanka and possibility of entering to a long-term agreement for supplying Russia origin wheat to Sri Lanka.
Hon. Minister met with Ilyas Umakhanov, Deputy Chairman, the Council of the Federation, the upper chamber of the Federal Assembly on the evening of 04 July.
His Excellency the Ambassador hosted the delegation to a Lunch on the 05 July where he explained the Minister and the Delegation about the cooperation Sri Lanka Embassy have with the Sri Lanka Tea Board and the successful events held by the Embassy joined with the Sri Lanka Tea Board. Hon Minister appreciated the Services rendered by the Embassy to prmote Sri Lanka in the fields of Trade, Tourism, Political and Education.
