Courtesy Ada Derana

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, General of the Army, Oleg Salyukov paid a courtesy call on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat his afternoon (5).

General Salyukov is currently in Sri Lanka on a goodwill tour at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, acting Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army.

The President Gotabaya Rajapaksa extended a warm welcome to the visiting Army Chief of Russia before he commenced a formal courtesy meeting with him, in which both the President and the visitor refreshed the memories of sound relations that have been on between both nations.

President Rajapaksa also gratefully acknowledged Russia’s timely gestures of emergency assistance to Sri Lanka whenever required and stressed the importance of maintaining the status-quo as friendly nations, the Sri Lanka Army reported.

Towards the culmination of the courtesy audience, Russia’s Land Forces Commander awarded a special memento to the President as a symbol of goodwill and cherished memories. The gesture was reciprocated.