A constructive meeting was held between Ambassador Shobini Gunasekera of Sri Lanka and Mr. Pavel Kalmychek, Director and officials of the Department of bilateral economic development of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation to further strengthen bilateral economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Russia.

During the discussions, the Ambassador highlighted the importance of convening the Sri Lanka-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) as a key mechanism to advance cooperation in trade, employment, tourism, and other priority sectors. The Ministry of Economic Development agreed to facilitate the holding of the Intergovernmental Commission, and both sides expressed readiness to engage through relevant institutions to ensure its successful convening.

The meeting also focused on expanding bilateral trade and investment ties, as well as enhancing employment and labour cooperation, including opportunities for Sri Lankan professionals and skilled workers, particularly within Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and other priority development areas in the Russian Federation.

Cooperation in the tourism sector was identified as an area of significant potential. In this regard, discussions were held on the signing of a bilateral tourism cooperation agreement, aimed at strengthening collaboration in tourism promotion, capacity building, and sustainable tourism development.

The Russian side extended an invitation to Sri Lanka to participate in upcoming economic fora and trade-related events in the Russian Federation, providing additional platforms to promote business-to-business engagement. In turn, the Ambassador invited the Russian Federation to participate in Sri Lanka's upcoming Expo, highlighting it as an important opportunity to deepen commercial engagement with Sri Lanka and the wider region.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Sri Lanka–Russia economic relations, building on longstanding friendship, mutual trust, and shared economic interests. The meeting concluded with agreement to maintain close coordination through diplomatic and technical channels to translate identified opportunities into tangible outcomes.