Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has met Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna General Secretary Tilvin Silva and his delegation in New Delhi, on the closing day of the party’s five-day visit to India.
Writing on X after the meeting, Jaishankar said the two sides had a “good discussion” on strengthening the bonds of friendship between India and Sri Lanka, and added: “As a trusted partner, India will always support Sri Lanka’s progress and prosperity.”
The visit
Silva led a five-member delegation that was in India from 27 September to 1 October at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party, under its “Know BJP” programme. The BJP described the visit as intended to deepen engagement between the two parties and exchange organisational experience. LankaNewz reported the delegation’s departure on 27 September.
The delegation comprised JVP Central Committee member Chandrika Adikari, MP Aboobucker Athambawa, District Committee member Kabilan Suntharamoorthy and International Department member Kalpana Madhubhashini.
Where else they went
Over the five days the group held talks with BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh and other senior figures, covering the party’s organisational structure, its grassroots membership network and development programmes in India.
They also met Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and visited the Delhi BJP office, where Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra received them. The programme included meetings with the BJP’s women’s and youth organisations and visits to the Indian Parliament and the National War Memorial.
Earlier discussions during the visit touched on Indian fishermen, refugee resettlement and bilateral cooperation, according to Newswire.
What was not disclosed
Neither outlet reports anything Silva said, in the meeting or afterwards — the only direct account of the Jaishankar talks is the minister’s own social media post, which both newsrooms carry. No readout has been issued by the JVP, and no agreements or specific commitments were announced.
The fishermen and refugee-resettlement items are reported as subjects raised at some point during the visit rather than at the Jaishankar meeting itself.
It is a party-to-party visit rather than a state one, though Silva is general secretary of the party that leads the government and Jaishankar is a serving cabinet minister. The itinerary — a foreign minister, a chief minister, Parliament — is heavier than the party framing alone would suggest.
