NEW DELHI, March 24. /TASS/. Sri Lanka and Russia have begun official government-level talks on oil supplies to the South Asian country, Sri Lankan Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said at a briefing.

"Talks with Russia are ongoing at the government level. Previously, we were unable to secure oil supplies from Russia. However, we are now making efforts to determine whether this can be done through intergovernmental agreements. A visit by Russia’s deputy energy minister to Sri Lanka is planned, which will provide an opportunity to further advance these negotiations," Adaderana news portal quoted the spokesman as saying.

Commenting on a statement by Iran’s ambassador to Colombo expressing readiness to supply fuel to Sri Lanka, Jayatissa noted that while the statement was appreciated, only countries with their own tankers could take advantage of such an opportunity – an advantage Sri Lanka currently does not have.

Earlier, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that if the conflict in the Middle East continues, the country will be able to ensure uninterrupted energy supply for the island state for only two months.

In mid-March, Russia’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, Levan Dzhagaryan, was invited to meet with Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. During the meeting, the minister asked Russia to consider the possibility of supplying energy resources to Sri Lanka.