Interfax

MOSCOW. July 6 (Interfax) – Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has called Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone, the Kremlin press service said on Wednesday.

“Current aspects of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, including energy, agriculture and transport, have been discussed,” the press service said.

In the context of the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations observed this year, the sides “reaffirmed the mutual desire to continue progressive development of the traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Sri Lanka,” it said.

It was agreed to continue contacts at various levels, the press service said.

Rajapaksa said on social media on Wednesday that he had spoken with Putin over the phone and asked for help with loans for fuel procurement and the resumption of Aeroflot flights to Sri Lanka.

He also said they agreed to step up bilateral cooperation in tourism, trade and culture.

Over the past few months, Sri Lanka has been going through the most serious crisis since 1948 when it became independent from the UK. There is a severe deficit of gasoline in Sri Lanka, which is also short on other kinds of fuel and imported food and drugs.

Sri Lankan Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera asked the population in June not to rush to buy fuel but admitted that new fuel supplies would be delayed for logistical and banking reasons.

Prior to that, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the country might have to buy oil from Russia again. He also said that Russia had offered wheat to Sri Lanka as it has been affected by food shortages. In the words of Wickremesinghe, the national economy is in shambles and Sri Lanka cannot afford to buy imported oil.