Iran’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mohammad Zaeri Amirani met with Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne at his office, to discuss possible training opportunities that could be offered to Sri Lankan Police and Armed Forces personnel in Iran, on Thursday.
After briefing Gunaratne of the current political circumstance in Iran, Ambassador Amirani presented the opportunities to train the Sri Lankan Police and Armed Forces personnel in Iran in a move “for improved bilateral cooperation and friendship between Iran and Sri Lanka”. He also went onto applaud the Sri Lankan government’s efforts in handling Police and Armed Forces personnel "to maintain peace".
His comments come as Iranian opposition website, Kaleme, has reported that at least 631 people have been killed in protests against the rise in fuel prices which began on 15 November. The actual figure of those who died during the protests has been disputed as Reuters has reported the death toll was closer to 1,500 and Amnesty International has estimated the figure closer to 1,800.
Gunaratne was appreciative of the Ambassador's gesture of kindness, according to an official Sri Lankan military website, and insisted he was also committed to improving the bilateral relations with Iran.
The pair marked the occasion with an exchange of mementos.
