India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, recently met with Chulamanee Chartsuwan, the new Secretary General of The Colombo Plan. During the meeting, Jha assured Chartsuwan of India’s ongoing support for The Colombo Plan’s Capacity Building Programme. They also discussed various initiatives proposed for the Plan’s 75th anniversary year and exchanged views on the organization’s future direction.
The Colombo Plan, established in 1951 during the Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs in Colombo, is an inter-governmental organization comprising 26 member countries. It operates on the principles of self-help and mutual assistance to promote human capital development and south-south cooperation.
In addition to this meeting, High Commissioner Jha engaged with the leadership of the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka to explore new opportunities for enhancing trade and investment between India and Sri Lanka. The discussions focused on strengthening business-to-business partnerships and leveraging the strong economic ties between the two nations.
Furthermore, High Commissioner Jha, along with Sri Lanka’s Minister of Health’s secretary, Anil Jasinghe, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an Indian grant aimed at supplying advanced medical equipment to Base Hospital, Deniyaya. This initiative, part of India’s USD 450M rehabilitation package for Sri Lanka’s post-Cyclone Ditwah recovery, underscores India’s commitment to supporting a safe and resilient neighborhood.
