External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva and a Sri Lankan delegation in New Delhi on Thursday, with discussions focused on strengthening ties between India and Sri Lanka. Jaishankar described the meeting as an opportunity to discuss the two countries’ close relationship and reiterated India’s support for Sri Lanka’s progress and prosperity.
The meeting came as part of a series of high-level engagements involving the Sri Lankan delegation in India. On Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also met the delegation led by Silva. The discussions covered governance and public service, with both sides exchanging perspectives and experiences on people-focused administration.
Gupta said the discussions included Delhi government initiatives, governance practices and public service measures. The Sri Lankan delegation also shared its experiences and similar initiatives from the country. She highlighted the longstanding civilisational and people-to-people links between India and Sri Lanka, saying such exchanges can contribute to greater mutual understanding and strengthen bilateral relations.
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The delegation included Chandrika Adikari, MP Aboobucker Athambawa, Kabilan Suntharamoorthy and Kalpana Madhubhashini. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, BJP Foreign Affairs Department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale and Ashwin Johar from the Foreign Affairs Department were also present during the meeting with Gupta.
The diplomatic engagement was accompanied by separate discussions on bilateral and maritime matters. Acquino Vimal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Tilani Silva, Legal Adviser to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met in Colombo on September 29 and 30. Their talks covered bilateral issues, maritime matters and cooperation in multilateral forums, according to the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka.
India has also continued humanitarian support for Sri Lanka. On Monday, around three tonnes of anti-tuberculosis medicines were sent to Colombo aboard an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft. Jaishankar said the consignment reflected India’s continued commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s public health system, adding another dimension to the ongoing bilateral engagement.
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