Colombo: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that the improved relations with Sri Lanka would benefit the two countries and the Indian Ocean region, media reports said on Thursday.
Iran is ready to supply technical and engineering services to Sri Lanka to help the country boost its economic and industrial infrastructure, Raisi said at a joint press conference with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe here on Wednesday.
Raisi was here on a one-day official visit – the first since 2008 for any Iranian leader – to inaugurate the over USD 500 million
Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project, constructed with Iran’s
technical assistance, about 200 km east of Colombo.
“The improved relations between Iran and Sri Lanka in various fields would benefit the two countries and the Indian Ocean region. Iran is ready to supply technical and engineering services to Sri Lanka to help the country boost its economic and industrial
infrastructure,” according to a report in Iran Front Page (IFP).
Wickremesinghe stressed that Sri Lanka and Iran have agreed “to cooperate more on issues related to the Indian Ocean and on joint initiatives in the United Nations,” according to the IFP report.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Sri Lankan President’s media division said that while deliberating
on enhancing bilateral relations between their respective nations, Sri Lanka pushed for aspirations of the Global South for their unique identity while Iran harped on enhanced cooperation and unity among Asian nations.
Reflecting on the shared aspirations of the Global South for their unique identity and independence, President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of solidarity among these nations, the statement said.