2 lanka ministers set for Russia oil talks

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is sending two government ministers to Russia to negotiate for fuel, according to The Associated Press.

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said two ministers are scheduled to leave for Russia to continue in-person talks that Sri Lanka has been having with Russian authorities to directly purchase fuel, among other related issues.

He urged people Saturday not to line up for fuel, saying only limited stock will be distributed to limited stations throughout next week.

He said until the next shipments arrive, “public transport, power generators and industries will be given a priority.”

Residents have had to queue for hours and sometimes days to get fuel, sometimes resorting to burning charcoal or palm fronds for cooking.

Wijesekera said the foreign ministry and the Sri Lankan ambassador in Russia have been making arrangements for a fuel sale.

“There is an advantage for us if we could buy oil directly from the Russian government or the Russian firms. There are talks going on,” he said.

In an interview with The Associated Press in mid-June, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka would be compelled to buy oil from Russia and was trying to get oil and coal from traditional suppliers in the Middle East.

“If we can get from any other sources, we will get from there. Otherwise (we) may have to go to Russia again,” he said.

Wickremesinghe also said last week that the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation was $700 million in debt and as a result, no country or organization was willing to provide fuel.

Meanwhile on Sunday, corporation hiked the prices of petrol by 22% to LKR 550 ($ 1.83) and diesel by 15% to LKR 470 ($1.31) and Wijeserekara said the hike of fuel prices was done to be par with the global fuel prices.