Iran President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi said today (24) that the Uma Oya project is not only a symbol of friendship between Iran and Sri Lanka but also a guarantee of maximum cooperation, integration, harmony, and unity among the nations of the Asian region.
The President of Iran assured that his country is ready to move forward with a good partnership with Sri Lanka and said that Iran is ready to contribute to the progress and development of Sri Lanka by providing technical and engineering services for the big development projects in Sri Lanka.
President Dr. Raisi stated this while inaugurating the Uma Oya multi-purpose project, which was built with Iran’s technical know-how and financial resources.
Iranian President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi also said:
I would like to thank the President of Sri Lanka Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe for the invitation extended to me to participate in this event. I also consider it a great honor to participate in this event, which is a symbol of integration that further strengthens the relations between our two countries.
It must be said that this project is a symbol of friendship between Iran and Sri Lanka. Today, we are officially inaugurating this magnificent multipurpose development project. But I believe the most important thing here is to ensure maximum cooperation, integration, harmony, and unity between our two countries and the nations of the Asian region.
And it must be said that the will and determination of the people between our two countries is more important than the completion of this project.
Honorable President Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, I would like to state that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to share modern technological knowledge with Sri Lanka. We also declare that we are ready to share the experience gained by Iran in the last 45 years for the progress and development of Sri Lanka. And I assure you that Iran is ready to move forward with a good partnership with Sri Lanka. Iran is ready to contribute to the progress and development of Sri Lanka by providing technical and engineering services for large development projects in Sri Lanka.
Iran’s Energy Minister Ali Akbar Merahbeen also spoke. He pointed out that Iran is a leading nation in the world with this kind of technical construction knowledge, and is among the top 5 countries in the world in terms of irrigation and drainage technology.
The minister also said:
This meeting between the Presidents of Iran and Sri Lanka is a very important occasion for both our countries. Also, through this project, we will have the opportunity to develop bilateral relations between the two countries.
It must be said that Iran is a leading country in this kind of construction. According to the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Iran ranks 5th among countries in the world in terms of irrigation networks. With Iran’s technical and engineering knowledge, we have been able to complete and implement 50 such large projects in 20 countries of the world. We are working further to improve technical and economic awareness by developing the friendship between Iran and Sri Lanka. He said.
The delegation led by the President of Iran Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and Mrs. Jamile Sadat Alamolhoda arrived today (24) in the morning to engage in a one-day official tour. They reached the country from Mattala Airport.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and other ministers welcomed the delegation led by the Iranian President at the Mattala Airport.
Marking his visit, the Iranian president also left a commemorative note in the book of special guests placed at the premises of Mattala International Airport.
This is the first time that an Iranian President will visit this country after the visit of the then-Iranian President Mohammad Ahmadinejad in April 2008. President Mohammad Ahmadinejad came that day to lay the foundation stone for this project.
