In today's inter-connected world, no issue can be viewed in isolation: Om Birla stresses multilateralism at P20

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, while stressing multilateralism, observed that in today's interconnected world, we cannot view any particular issue in isolation.

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, while stressing multilateralism, observed that in today's interconnected world, we cannot view any particular issue in isolation. Om Birla reiterated a paragraph of the Joint Statement adopted at the Ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) and said, "We will continue parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue in relevant fora as a catalyst for promoting international peace, prosperity and harmony while supporting the peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes."

The Ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Delivering his valedictory address, Lok Sabha speaker Birla also reiterated the collective determination of the Parliaments of G20 nations to pursue the shared commitments in the times to come at the COP-20, G-20 and beyond.

Speaking on the role of parliamentarians, Birla noted that as public representatives, the Members of Parliament are in a special position to formulate the necessary policies and laws to fulfill the hopes, aspirations and needs of the public. Their role is to complement the efforts of the government and we have a special contribution in ensuring good governance for the purpose of public welfare, said Birla. Om Birla thanked the Presiding Officers of Parliaments of G20 nations and of invited nations for contributing to the success of this P-20 Summit on "Parliaments for One Earth, One Family and One Future".

He expressed confidence that the valuable views and inputs in the four sessions on SDGs, green energy, women-led development and digital public infrastructure will further strengthen the G-20 process for human-centered development. Mentioning the parliamentary dimension of G20, Birla noted that the discussions held over the past two days have clearly underlined the importance of the parliamentary dimension of the G20 and have also established how Parliaments can work together to achieve the collective goals of One Earth, One Family and One Future.

At the conclusion of India's P20 presidency, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla handed over the presidency to the Parliament of Brazil. On the sidelines of the P20 Summit, Om Birla met the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Duarte Pacheco. Birla outlined that India pursues with the IPU a common agenda of promoting and supporting democratic governance and building strong parliaments to serve the people.

India's continued participation in the diverse activities of the IPU and its committees reflects our commitment to furthering the purpose of the IPU, Birla added. Birla suggested that democratic principles and multilateralism should be given priority and everyone should be given proper representation on global platforms. The shared objective of both India and IPU is to democratize international governance structures that reflect current realities, he informed.

The Lok Sabha speaker also held bilateral talks with Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Speaking on the occasion, Birla thanked Matvienko for her contribution to making P20 a success. He also commended her political experience and contributions towards Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Observing that India and Russia have long-standing deep relations, Birla said that both countries have stood together in times of crisis. He added that India and Russia also have strong relations in diverse fields like military, agriculture, energy, and science and technology. Noting the mutual trust and close relations between leaders of India and Russia, Birla expressed hope that both India and Russia will continue to strengthen their mutual relationship by further expanding parliamentary diplomacy.

Birla held bilateral discussions with the Vice President of the European Parliament Nicola Beer. On this occasion, Birla underlined India's sovereignty and protested against bringing a proposal to the European Parliament on India's internal issues. He insisted that every nation and parliament is sovereign and their internal issues should not be discussed by others.

Beer congratulated Birla for a successful P20 Summit and emphasised on closer relations of the European Parliament with India. She also informed that Europe is going through challenging times and sought India's cooperation. Birla invited Beer to watch the festival of democracy during the Indian general elections next year.

Holding bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart Kurtulmus, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Birla expressed gratefulness to Kurtulmus for attending the P20 Summit and commended his views towards Mahatma Gandhi. Noting the historic and civilisational ties between India and Turkey, Birla noted that Sufi and Bhakti traditions are a shared cultural heritage of both nations.

He added that the relationship between the two nations will be further strengthened through the efforts of their people and parliamentarians. Mentioning that Operation Dost is a symbol of India's friendship towards Turkey, Birla hoped that Turkey would soon recover after the damage caused by the recent earthquake.

Recalling the frequent Indian film shoots in Turkey, Birla observed that Turkey has emerged as a favorite place for Indian destination weddings. He added that tourism and cultural relations between India and Turkey will also be strengthened through parliamentary diplomacy. During the bilateral meeting with Seah Kian Peng, Speaker of Parliament of Singapore, Birla stressed on increasing cooperation in trade, industry and green technology between the two countries.

Commending Singapore's efforts in tackling climate change, Birla urged for the promotion of clean and green energy by sharing technology. Mentioning that India is a fast-growing economy undertaking massive infrastructure expansion, Birla called for Singapore companies to explore investment opportunities in India in fields like solar energy and electric vehicles.

Noting that India-Singapore has completed three decades of naval relations, Birla emphasised the need to increase cooperation in defense and related sectors. Lok Sabha speaker Birla also met Jan Anthonie Bruijn, President of the Senate, Netherlands.

Interacting with him, Birla said that the New Parliament Building of India symbolizes a 'New Beginning' reposing the faith of 140 crore Indians and encouraging all of us to make optimum utilization of the various attributes of the New Parliament Building in fulfilling the aspirations of the people in our path towards Amrit Kaal. Underlining that regular exchanges and interactions at the highest political levels have provided guidance and momentum to our bilateral ties, he suggested that India and Netherlands can further strengthen their partnership through regular exchange of ideas and experts, and exploring further opportunities in areas of mutual interest.

The Lok Sabha speaker also held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart from South Africa Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula on the sidelines of the P20 Summit. Speaking on the occasion, Birla expressed his appreciation for the cooperation extended by South Africa in making India's G20 presidency a success.

He also congratulated African Union (AU) Member South Africa for the successful inclusion of the AU in the G20 due to India's initiative during the ongoing Indian G-20 Presidency. Birla added that the Membership of the African Union in the G20 testified to India and South Africa's commitment towards an inclusive and representative G20, which will help in mainstreaming the concerns of the global south and in collectively finding solutions to global challenges.

Speaking to Marcela Guerra Castillo, President of the Chamber of Deputies during a bilateral meeting, Birla appreciated the fact that both Presiding Officers of the Mexican Parliament are women. He informed Castillo about the recently passed historic 'Nari Shakti Vandan Bill.'

Acknowledging Mexico's pioneering efforts towards gender equality, Birla said that India will continue to draw inspiration from Mexico to advance gender equality in India. Noting that relations between India and Mexico have progressed well over the years, Birla said that these relations are built on a solid foundation of historical, cultural and civilisational ties with a strong belief in strong democratic and secular values.

There will all together four high-level sessions that were held during the P20 Summit -- Accelerating SDGs, Sustainable Energy Transition, Women-led Development, and Transformation in People's Lives through Public Digital Platforms. On the first day of the summit itself, the joint declaration for the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) was adopted with consensus to engage in parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue in relevant fora as a catalyst for promoting international peace.

The concluding part of the declaration mentioned, that the members reaffirmed their commitment to continue "joint work to make an effective and meaningful parliamentary contribution to the G20 process, as appreciated by the G20 Leaders." "I am confident the discussions that were held on SDGs, green energy, women-led development and digital public infrastructure and your valuable views and inputs will further strengthen the G20 process for human-centered development," Om Birla said in the valedictory session.

"The discussions held over the past two days have clearly underlined the importance of the parliamentary dimension of the G20 and have also established how our Parliaments can work together to achieve the collective goals of One Earth, One Family and One Future," Birla said. He said many members also highlighted important global challenges beyond the development agenda selected for discussion during the P20."These include recent geo-political events and economic issues. Several members also mentioned the situation in West Asia/Middle East," Birla said.

"Some other members noted the need to strengthen multilateralism, promote international trade, and streamline supply chains. I have listened to these mentions carefully," he said. The participating dignitaries thanked the Parliament of India for hosting the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit and for its warm hospitality. They also congratulate India on the inauguration of the new building of its Parliament this year, befitting its ancient traditions of people's participation in governance and decision-making.

The P20 Summit is being hosted by India under the broader framework of its G20 Presidency. The event is an international forum for debate and deliberations. Prime Minister Modi on Friday inaugurated the P20 Summit and addressed dignitaries, saying it is the "Mahakumbh" of parliamentary practices of the world.

The theme of the Summit is Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future, which draws inspiration from the ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is one Family). (ANI)

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