Colombo, March 13 Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met with Russian Ambassador Levan S Dzhagaryan on Friday and discussed the possibility of purchasing Russian fuel.
This development comes a day after the Trump administration announced a temporary authorization for several countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea, as there were no immediate signs of an early end to the US war on Iran.
The US had also granted a similar waiver from sanctions to India to buy Russian oil as part of efforts to cool down oil prices that have been on the rise since the outbreak of war on February 28.
Foreign Minister Herath met with Russian Ambassador Dzhagaryan. "This was in response to the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia to purchase Russian oil," an official statement said.
The foreign ministry said that talks have begun to purchase Russian oil in the possible scenario of continued tensions in the Middle East due to the ongoing war.
Sri Lanka said on Thursday that India has responded positively to its request for assistance in securing fuel supplies in the possible scenario of continued tensions in West Asia.
Sri Lanka has raised fuel prices to contain hoarding.
Long queues were seen at fuel pumps when the war broke out on February 28. The government has appealed to reduce non-essential travel to minimize fuel usage. So far, the government has resisted calls to impose fuel rationing.