FELICITATION MESSAGE FROM HON. VIJITHA HERATH, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT AND TOURISM OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

It is an immense pleasure to extend warm felicitations and sincere best wishes to His Excellency President Vladimir Putin, the Government and people of the Russian Federation and H.E. Levan S. Dzhagaryan, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka on this special occasion of the National Day of the Russian Federation.

- Hon. Vijitha Herath M.P Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

Diplomatic relations between the then Ceylon and the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the predecessor state of the Russian Federation, were established on February 19, 1957. Pursuant to the establishment of diplomatic relations and setting up resident diplomatic missions in the capitals, a solid base for mutual cooperation was laid down in the 1960s through bilateral agreements signed between the two countries in the spheres of trade and economy, science, technology, education and culture.