Speaking at a press conference held today at the Media Centre of the Government Information Department, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development Dullas Alahapperuma said that a total of 159 countries have confirmed upto midnight May 1st, participation at the World Conference on Youth hosted by Sri Lanka.

The Minister also said that the confirmed list of participants includes 62 Senior Ministers and Senior Government Officials, 121 national youth delegates and 129 international youth delegates.

Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, at the press conference announced that the Tamil medium official spokesperson for the conference would be Ajanthan Sivadasan who won the International Youth Leader award, in addition to Lalith Piyum Perera, Chairman of the National Youth Services Council who had been appointed as the official spokesperson for the Conference.

The World Conference on Youth (WCY) is scheduled to take place from May 6 through May 10, 2014 in Colombo. The inauguration ceremony will be held on the 6th in Hambantota and other sessions both in Hambantota and in Colombo.

Minister Dullas Alahapperuma categorically refuting a news item that appeared in a Sinhala newspaper with regard to the total budget of the conference said that Rs.250 M has been allocated for the conference together with another Rs.50m this year's Youth development programme and the committee is taking every effort to cut down the expenditure cost by 50%. He invited all media personnel to look at the conference with open eyes.

Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media & Information Dr.Charitha Herath and Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development also spoke.

Prof.Ariyarathna Athugala, Director General and Wasantha Priya Ramanayake, Director Media of the Government Information Department, Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs too were present.