Following similar expressions of interest from Russia, China, and France, India has also indicated its willingness to cooperate with Sri Lanka in developing nuclear energy. However, the current government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is not yet prepared to proceed with any such project at this juncture , despite the inclusion of nuclear power in the country’s long-term generation plan, a source familiar with the process said. In addition, a Japanese delegation has inquired about Sri Lanka’s readiness for nuclear power generation at this stage. Russia, for its part, has been lobbying successive Sri Lankan governments for years to invest in nuclear energy projects. Recently, Russian Ambassador Levan S. Dzhagaryan met with Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody recently to discuss the proposal once again, in the presence of representatives from the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Authority (SLAEA). The Minister is reported to have told the delegation that Sri Lanka is not yet ready to take any concrete steps, such as signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with any party for a nuclear project. The government has also decided to review the legal and regulatory groundwork initiated by the previous administration to facilitate nuclear power development. Russia had earlier proposed establishing a 110-megawatt nuclear power plant in Sri Lanka. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) previously conducted a review of potential sites for a nuclear facility in the country. Its Site and External Events Design Review Service (SEED) mission assessed Sri Lanka’s compliance with IAEA guidelines on site selection, including exclusion and screening criteria. However, the government has yet to make a final decision. Meanwhile, a source from the SLAEA said that Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha had met with the Authority and conveyed India’s readiness to cooperate if Sri Lanka decides to pursue nuclear power generation. The source added that a Japanese delegation, too, recently made inquiries about Sri Lanka’s future plans in this regard.
