Russian Customs to curb illegal trade with Sri Lankan counterpart

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Sri Lanka Customs entered into a mutual agreement with its  Russian counterpart on Wednesday to counter illegal trading activities  and to boost legal trade facilities between the two nations in the  future, an official said.   

The meeting themed ‘Mutual Assistance Agreement on  Customs Matters’ was held in Moscow, and was chaired by heads of the  two Customs of the two countries.   

Director General of Sri Lanka Customs P. B. Sarath Nonis  signed the MoU with Head of the Federal Customs Service of the Russia  Federation Valery Pikalyov.   

Customs spokesman Additional Director General Seevali  Arukgoda said the mutual agreement would enable the two countries to  easily access trade facilitation services, boost legal trading  affairs as well as crackdown on illegal trading instances.   

He said Sri Lanka was one of the chief tea exporters to  Russia, and local authorities used to import wheat and many other goods  from Russia before the Ukraine war started.   
“Sometimes when unlawful items come, it is now easier for us  to request details from Russia.

Likewise, Sri Lanka Customs had entered into a memorandum  of understanding with the Customs services of six other countries  including Australia, India and Maldives,” the official said.  

The local Customs delegation that left for Moscow on Saturday was expected to return yesterday.   

Pic in provincial P1 folder