- High-ranking officials from Iran and Sri Lanka, in the presence of President Ebrahim Raisi and his counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe, signed five cooperation agreements spanning culture, cinema, tourism, and science
President Ebrahim Raisi along with his accompanying delegation of high-ranking political and economic officials besides fulfilling his main purpose of inaugurating the Uma Oya Multipurpose Project one of Sri Lanka’s largest irrigation projects also signed five other cooperation agreements with Sri Lanka in areas including culture, cinema, tourism, and science and technology during his visit to Sri Lanka recently.
Highlighting Iran’s willingness to contribute its expertise, Raisi remarked on Iran’s 45 years of experience in various fields and expressed readiness to share this knowledge with Sri Lanka.
He described Sri Lanka as an independent nation and projected that strengthening bilateral ties would lead to a prosperous future for both countries.
Iran, known for its technical and engineering capabilities, is involved in major electricity and water projects across more than 20 countries. The Uma Oya Project, a collaborative effort with Iranian experts, is designed to address water shortages in southeastern Sri Lanka by transferring approximately 145 million cubic meters of water annually from the Uma Oya basin to the Kirindi Oya basin.
Located 200 kilometers east of Colombo in a relatively underdeveloped and arid area, the Uma Oya Project encompasses the construction of two dams, a water transmission tunnel, and two 60-MW underground hydroelectric power plants.
