New contacts with potential to open new opportunities were established with several entities of the Chuvash Republic of Russia during a visit by the Embassy staff of Sri Lanka. Matters of mutual interest especially related to the agriculture sector were discussed with the government and business representatives of the region.

A high level meeting with the Head of Chuvashia took place in the House of Government in Cheboksary, the capital of the Region. The Ambassador H.E Prof MD Lamawansa mentioned the long term fruitful and good relations between Sri Lanka and Russia underlining the willingness of Sri Lanka to develop collaboration in the spheres of trade, education, investments, culture and others. The Head of Chuvashia, Mr. Oleg Nikolaev, revealed such points of common interests as environmentally friendly pesticides produced in Chuvashia, electrical engineering, digital solutions for electrical engineering, for which Chuvashia is famous as the center of R&D and production in the country.
The delegation visited LLC "Chetra" a factory producing industrial machinery since the Year 1972. Its products are used in the construction of major production sites, seaports, development of mineral deposits and pipeline construction in 30 countries across the world, in all climatic zones.
Attention was drawn at the meeting with the Minister of Economic Development of Chuvashia on establishment of Joint Ventures in Sri Lanka with the view of processing machines. Among other interests of Chuvash republic stressed by the Deputy Minister of the Chuvash Republic include Sri Lankan dried fruits distribution, Sri Lankan coconut charcoal and palm oil importation.
The delegation visited a mini agriculture products exhibition and met with the representatives of the food processing enterprises of Chuvashia within the frame of the visit to the Ministry of agriculture where the export potential of Sri Lanka was presented by the Trade and Tourism development department of the Embassy.
In order to enhance the collaboration in Medical sphere, the delegation visited Cheboksary branch of S.N. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Complex, famous for the refractive surgery procedures performed in a way aimed to be similar to an assembly line, with patients on operating tables rotated from one doctor to another, each of them responsible only for one part of the procedure. The center treats cataract, refractive abnormalities, glaucoma, vitreo-retinal and optic nerve pathology, corneal diseases. During the visit a common interest in collaboration of medical sphere was initiated of agreeing to organize an online conference between the doctors and specialists in this sphere. The Complex is also proud of its Research and Development facilities given an important invention of artificial iris, which is becoming more and more popular in European countries due to the quality and the cost in comparison with alternatives.
Common interests have been identified and future steps of collaboration were outlined in the sector of investments, trade, tourism, culture, education and medicine.