The Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday congratulated Sri Lanka on the occasion of the South Asian country's 76th Independence Day.
In a statement, Moscow praised Sri Lanka's freedom struggle against the colonial oppression of the British that was preceded by Portuguese and Dutch rule on the island.
"The policy of the colonialists, in particular the British, who acted in the spirit of 'divide and rule' led to an actual violation of the ethnic harmony that had developed in society and had a negative impact on the development of the country," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Moreover, the Ministry criticized the efforts of the colonizers in imposing Western traditions and values on Sri Lanka, which the country's people and political parties resisted through their non-violent methods.
Diplomatic ties between Sri Lanka and Russia were established on 19 February 1957.
However, unlike the West, relations between Moscow and Colombo have been based on equality and goodwill for each other.
"Russian-Lankan ties have invariably been built on the basis of equality, goodwill and willingness to take into account each other's interests," The Russian MFA concluded.