Ambassador Shobini Gunasekera met Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Vitaly Altabayev to discuss strengthening economic cooperation in the fields of Employment and Tourism between Sri Lanka and Russia’s Far Eastern regions.
The discussions focused on opportunities for Sri Lankan skilled and semi-skilled workers in the Special Economic Zones, hospitality and agriculture sectors, as well as promoting Sri Lanka as a tourism destination for visitors from the Far East. Both sides agreed to work closely to advance cooperation in employment and tourism.
Deputy Minister Altabayev also invited Sri Lankan students to consider leading universities in the Far East, highlighting their competitive tuition fees, quality technology-focused programmes and opportunities for international work exposure.
Ambassador invited a business delegation from the Far East regions to Sri Lanka Expo 2027 to enhance the commercial engagements between business communities of the both sides.
Covering 6.9 million square kilometres and 41% of Russia’s territory, the Far East is a strategically important region linking Asia and Europe, with 29 seaports, extensive rail networks and abundant natural resources. Following the Eastern Economic Forum 2026, Russia has embarked on a new stage of development of the region under an updated 10 years strategy.
The meeting reaffirmed the mutual interest in expanding practical cooperation between Sri Lanka and Russia’s Far East in employment, tourism, education and economic development.
