On 5-8 June 2019 Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Minister of Public Administration, Disaster Management and Rural Economic Affairs of Sri Lanka, visited the XII Integrated Safety and Security Exhibition (ISSE-2019) in Moscow at the invitation of Hon. Yevgeny Zinichev, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of Russia).
The ISSE-2019 is the largest Russian federal level exhibition project, organized by the Government, which is aimed at demonstrating the achievements in the field of security of the country, protecting its population and territory. As this year marks the 370th anniversary of fire protection in Russia, the exhibition paid much attention to the problem of fire safety. It displayed advanced scientific and technical products, modern fire-fighting and digital technologies and innovations.
Another major section of the exhibition was devoted to the development of the «Safe City» complex. It is the integration of the automated information and communications system of the Emergency services and the “Smart city” systems, as well as the modernization of life safety systems and information systems of EMERCOM of Russia.
The programme of the visit also included a tour of the National Crisis Management Centre, a multi-level intelligent control system designed to provide interagency coordination, task management and emergency prevention and response around-the-clock; and a visit to the Leader Centre for High Risk Rescue Operations, whose specialists are able to rescue people on rough terrain, on water, under water, or in the mountains. This mobile group can be inserted via aircraft to any point of the world.
Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara also visited the Russian Civil Defence Academy and the Noginsk Rescue Centre, where he and other guests observed a full-scale demonstration exercise, exhibiting the skills of the Russian Rescue teams. The Noginsk Rescue Centre has a long and glorious history of fulfilling tasks and performing various duties both domestically and internationally. It was involved in the delivery of humanitarian aid under the aegis of UNHCR, conducting rescue and recovery operations by paratrooper rescuers, rendering of aid to foreign countries during mitigation of natural disasters, detection and defusing of aerial bombs, landmines and artillery shells. The Centre is also carrying out an extensive training program for specialists in the field of rescuing.
During his visit to Russia, Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara met H E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russia, for dinner on 6 June 2019.
