A seven-member Russian delegation led by Health Minister Mikhail Murashko arrived in Colombo on Sunday for a three-day official visit running through May 5. NewsFirst confirmed on Monday morning that the delegation will visit the National Hospital of Sri Lanka and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Colombo during the day, with several bilateral agreements expected to be signed.
Murashko will hold discussions with Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa and Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath during the first two days of the visit. Both sides will focus on strengthening cooperation in the health sector, with the two governments aiming to sign new agreements between their health ministries.
On May 4, the delegation will visit the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo.
According to a Health Ministry statement, the talks will cover pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, specialist medical training, academic cooperation including exchanges and joint courses, Ayurveda, and health tourism.
Russia remains one of the leading international destinations for Sri Lankan medical students, with the Russian government offering annual state scholarships and several universities maintaining curricula recognised by the Sri Lanka Medical Council. Bilateral health cooperation was strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic through the emergency authorisation of the Sputnik V vaccine.
The Russian Embassy has actively promoted internships for Sri Lankan doctors at scientific centres in Moscow and St. Petersburg, with focus areas including oncology, transcatheter heart valve replacement and paediatric nephrology, EconomyNext reported.
The visit follows recent bilateral consultations in April 2026 in which both sides reaffirmed plans to expand cooperation into pharmaceutical manufacturing and specialised clinical training.
In Day 2 talks at the Health Ministry on Monday afternoon, NewsFirst reported, Murashko offered Russia’s “comprehensive support” for Sri Lanka’s primary healthcare system and walked Jayatissa through an AI-driven diagnostic platform capable of identifying 42 diseases across both rural-agricultural and urban populations, covering laboratory diagnostics and paediatric care. Murashko invited Jayatissa and senior officials on an official visit to Russia to observe the country’s health system at work, signalled willingness to assist with Sri Lanka’s energy challenges, and proposed signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the two health ministries to formalise cooperation. Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni and Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan were also present.
