Sri Lanka Defense Official Says Army-2017 in Russia Expands Int'l Cooperation

Sri Lankan Defense Ministry Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne told Sputnik on Tuesday that the Army-2017 international forum held in Russia will expand international cooperation.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Waidyaratne, the delegation arrived at the forum to see what was available in Russia in terms of arms. He added that his country had already had the experience of buying Russian weapons.

"We are very fortunate to be here. It is going to be a very interesting expo. From what I have heard and seen today so far, it will be not only an exhibition but also a place where we can gain some knowledge, expand international cooperation. It will be quite interesting," Waidyaratne, who heads the Sri Lankan delegation, said.

Speaking about ongoing negotiations on arms sales, the official noted that Sri Lanka was interested in Russian ships.

"There is a dialogue… We are buying ships at the moment, there are ongoing talks on that," Waidyaratne said.

When asked about prospects of bilateral counter-terrorism coordination, Waidyaratne noted the interest in "sharing and learning from other countries, including from Russia's, experience" in this field.

The Army-2017 International Military-Technical Forum kicked off earlier on Tuesday in the Alabino Military Training Grounds, the Kubinka Airfield, and the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center in the Moscow region.