Sri Lanka and Russia to cement ties at youth council level

Moves are underway to sign a memorandum of understanding between Sri Lanka and Russian to improve ties at youth council level.

A nine- member delegation from Sri Lanka visited Moscow t o par t i c i p ate in t he International Volunteer Forum which was held from December 2 to 5.

The Sri Lankan youth delegation met Gregory Petushkov, Head of Russia National Youth Council, on Thursday to discuss closer cooperation and partnership between youth organisations of the two countries.

The Sri Lankan delegation suggested that an MoU between the Youth Councils of the two countries be signed, the Sri Lanka embassy in Moscow said in a statement.

The Sri Lankan delegation spent the first day in Moscow, visiting charity foundations and social and non-profit organisations. At the forum, they were among those 15,000 participants from more than 120 countries. The forum was addressed, among others, by Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia.

The Forum provided a good venue for the Sri Lankan delegation to interact with youth leaders from other countries share their experience; it has also helped to establish new relationships with volunteers and youth leaders from all over the world, the embassy statement said .

The Balangoda Police said the student was doing the paper at Jeilani Central College in Balangoda, while the teacher was on duty as an invigilator at an exam hall in another school. The Police said the the student was attending tuition class conducted by the teacher.

The student was also arrested. Police said the student had smuggled the phone into the exam centre by hiding it in his shoe.

The teacher and the student were released on bail on Friday after they were produced in the Balangoda Magistrate's court. The case was fixed for February 7.