High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka H. E. Santosh Jha met the Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Hon. Sunil Kumara Gamage today at India House. The Hon. Minister was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Hon. Eranga Gunasekara who led Sri Lanka’s ten-member delegation to the BIMSTEC Youth Summit. The Summit was hosted by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India from February 7 to 11, 2025 at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
At the BIMSTEC Youth Summit, Sri Lanka’s delegation presented several key youth empowerment initiatives of Government of Sri Lanka. These included the V4R program, Multi-Modal Centres (MMC) for youth, IT-related projects and initiatives to enhance the quality of vocational education programs.
On the margins of the Summit, India’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya met Deputy Minister Hon. Eranga Gunasekara. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation between India and Sri Lanka through youth exchange programs in various sectors, including education, technology, entrepreneurship, sports and culture. Sri Lankan side expressed keen interest in learnings from Indian youth initiatives of Viksit Bharat and MY Bharat.
The Summit brought together youth leaders from BIMSTEC member countries-Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Themed ‘Youth as a Bridge for Intra-BIMSTEC Exchange’, it provided a dynamic platform for delegates to foster regional collaboration and facilitate the exchange of youth-led initiatives. In addition to the sessions, the delegates participated in cultural experiences and site visits connecting with India’s rich history, and its commitment to innovation and sustainable development.
