Iran President arrives in Sri Lanka

April 24, 2024 at 10:36 AM

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Ebrahim Raisi has arrived in Sri Lanka, marking a significant diplomatic moment between the two nations.

Iranian President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi arrived at the Mattala Airport in Hambantota after which he was escorted to participate in the public ceremony marking the inauguration of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.

Completing the opening ceremony of the Uma Oya project, the Iranian President will head to Colombo this afternoon for a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

A highlight of President Raisi’s visit will be the signing of five memorandums of understanding (MoUs), aimed at bolstering bilateral relations between Iran and Sri Lanka.

Iranian President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi’s one-day official visit is in response to a special invitation extended by President Ranil Wickremasinghe for the inauguration of the Uma Oya Project. His visit marks the first visit of an Iranian President to Sri Lanka since former President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit in April 2008.

Following the Mahaweli Development Project, the Uma Oya project is one of the largest irrigation projects in Sri Lanka. It has been constructed with the assistance of Farab Energy and Water Projects (Farab Company) of Iran. Farab Company has undertaken detailed feasibility studies, prepared detailed engineering designs, procured all materials, equipment and machinery, and carried out the physical construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the project.

The primary objective of the Uma Oya project is to alleviate water scarcity in the southeastern dry region of the country by redirecting an annual average of 145 million cubic meters of excess water from the Uma Oya basin to the Kirindi Oya basin. (Newswire)