The delegation of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow headed by H.E. the Ambassador, prof. Janitha A. Liyanage, paid an official visit to the Ivanovo region of the Russian federation on November 27, 2023.

During the visit of H.E. the Ambassador held a working meeting with the Regional Government headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Ivanovo Region, head of the Social Sphere Complex, Ms. Ermish Irina Gennadievna.
The host party opened the meeting with a description of the potential of the region, saying that the Ivanovo region is the textile capital of Russia, the main industry is represented by textile and clothing production, the region ranks 1st in the country in the production of cotton products - 82%. Of great interest is the possibility of attracting labor from Sri Lanka to work at apparel producing enterprises in the Ivanovo region; the option of locating production in factories in Sri Lanka is also being considered.
The meeting was also attended by the Chairman of the Ivanovo Region Committee on Labor, Promotion of Employment and Labor Migration, Mr. Soloviev Roman Aleksandrovich, who reported that today there are 15,000 vacancies open in the region, of which 5,000 are in the apparel industry. There are already 9 Sri Lankan citizens working in the region, and H.E. Ambassador's proposal to send more workers from Sri Lanka was met with great enthusiasm.
In addition to cooperation in the apparel sector, H.E. the Ambassador discussed cooperation in the field of education with representatives of regional universities who attended the meeting. New higher education institutions are ready to open their doors to Sri Lankan students.

Further in the visit program was a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Ivanovo Region.
The acquaintance between the region and the republic began with a greeting from the president. Mr. Leonid Ivanov, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, opened the meeting by introducing the team, the business community and the main types of regional products to the guests. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russia, Professor Janitha A. Liyanage noted that there is much in common between the Ivanovo region and Sri Lanka. They also have a very developed textile and apparel industry. H.E. the Ambassador emphasized that the republic could get involved in resolving the personnel issue in this direction. The export potential of Sri Lanka was comprehensively described with the help of a video presentation, narrating about the fact that Sri Lanka sews branded textiles, makes rubber, electronics, ceramics and precious wood products. Sri Lanka is ready to share fruits and vegetables, fish, precious stones and, of course, spices.
In turn, the director of the regional investment agency, Mr. Andrey Paevsky, presented the potential of the Ivanovo region. He spoke about the principle of work of residents of monotowns and special economic zones, and also that the region is interested in attracting specialists - in the textile sector, mechanical engineering, and the chemical industry. Also, in the new conditions, there are certain difficulties with the supply of rubber to Russia. After which Ivanovo businessmen told the delegation about their products. In particular, LLC Mercury presented its membrane fabrics. But the Neurosoft company, it turns out, has already entered Sri Lanka and supplied medical equipment there, but is ready to expand its presence. The entrepreneurs exchanged contacts. The parties expressed their hopes for mutually beneficial cooperation.

During the visit of H.E. The Ambassador visited the city Shuya of Ivanovo Region, the center of textile production. Currently, the Textile M factory, located in the above-mentioned city, has already entered into an agreement with the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency and on December 15 expects 30 women workers to be employed at the garment factory in the city of Shuya.
The Embassy delegation was warmly received by the Head of the Administration of the Shuya City District, Ms. N.V. Koryagina. The latter expressed great interest in developing cooperation in the fields of education, culture, labor migration, and the apparel industry.
The result of the visit was the discovering of new employment opportunities for Sri Lankan citizens in the Russian Federation and, of course, for the development of trade and economic cooperation between the countries.