LS Speaker Om Birla meets counterparts from Australia, Bangladesh on sidelines of Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in Bahrain

Birla held meetings with Milton Dick, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia on the sidelines of the 146th Assembly of the IPU held in Manama, Bahrain.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Oman on the sidelines of the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Conference being held in Manama, Bahrain. Birla held meetings with Milton Dick, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia on the sidelines of the 146th Assembly of the IPU held in Manama, Bahrain, according to the statement released by Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Speaking on the occasion, Birla expressed confidence that the ties between India and Australia will be further strengthened by regular parliamentary dialogue between the nations. Lauding the wide administrative and parliamentary experience of Dick, Birla credited him for strengthening the bilateral parliamentary relations between India and Australia, according to the official statement. Referring to the democratic heritage of India and Australia, Birla noted that both nations are working towards the socio-economic welfare of their citizens through democratic systems. Referring to the multi-party system of the Indian Parliament, Birla said that Indian democracy is enriched and strengthened by diverse parties, viewpoints and ideologies, as per the statement.

Om Birla further stated that the Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue between India and Australia is an important component of bilateral ties between two nations. Referring to India's G20 Presidency, Birla expressed confidence in Australia's active participation in the upcoming G20 and P20 summits. Birla also extended a formal invitation to Dick to visit India, specially to attend the P20 Summit. Speaking about the Australian PM Anthony Albanese's visit to India, Birla said that these visits have given a new direction to mutual relations, due to which India and Australia cooperate extensively to maintain regional peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region, according to the statement.

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla tweeted, "Delighted to meet Speaker, House of Representatives of Australia H.E. @MiltonDickMP on the sidelines of #IPU146. Invited him to participate in next P20 Conf. which will be hosted by Indian Parliament. Thanked him for support to Indian Parliament in the IPU Ex. Council election." Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh's Parliament speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. Birla said that the high-level visits between Bangladesh and India in the recent years have strengthened bilateral relations between the two nations, Lok Sabha Secretariat said in the statement.

Birla said that India and Bangladesh have always had cordial and friendly relations and the people of India, government and public representatives have continuously supported Bangladesh. He stated that connectivity between the two countries has increased in areas such as road, rail, air, inland waterways, coastal shipping, power, energy and digital space. Lok Sabha speaker expressed confidence that both countries will benefit by giving new impetus to mutual economic relations. Describing India as a committed partner for the development of Bangladesh, Birla said that India has provided Bangladesh a Line of Credit of USD 10 billion, which is being utilized to finance rail, road and port infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.

He further said that India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline built with India's assistance is also going to start operations soon, which will prove to be a symbol of India's commitment for the development and prosperity of Bangladesh. Birla described parliamentary institutions as an important pillar of democratic governance and emphasized on promoting regular parliamentary-level dialogue between the two democracies. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with Speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius Sooroojdev Phokeer. Speaking on the occasion, Birla said that the two nations have close and long-standing ties due to historical, demographic and cultural reasons. He stated that India and Mauritius share a special relationship based on shared history, languages, culture, relationships and values.

Birla expressed happiness on completion of 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Terming parliamentary institutions as important pillars of democratic governance, Birla said that both the countries believe in the similar democratic values, beliefs and rule of law. Referring to the 2017 visit of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Mauritius, Birla said that an 'Agreement for Cooperation for Parliamentary Support and Capacity Building' was signed between the two parliaments. He added that there have been regular visits of public representatives giving a fillip to the close ties between the two democracies, according to the statement.

Om Birla in a tweet wrote, "Pleased to meet H.E. Mr. Sooroojdev Phokeer, Speaker of Mauritius in Bahrain. India has close & historic relations with Mauritius based on principle of "Vasudhaev Kutumbkam". Our two nations share special relationship based on shared history,languages,culture & democratic values." Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with Khalid Hilal Naseer Al Maawali, Chairman of the Majlis e 'Shura of Oman. Birla noted that India and Oman share a long-standing and historical relationship, dating several centuries. He expressed happiness that the bilateral relations between India and Oman have become stronger and deeper over time.

Highlighting the uniqueness of Indian democracy, Birla said that India has always witnessed a smooth transfer of power on the basis of democracy. He added that India and Oman have long enjoyed strong parliamentary relations, which makes inter-parliamentary dialogue an important component of the bilateral ties between the two nations. He expressed the desire that multi-faceted cooperation between India and Oman must be further strengthened. Om Birla noted that India has extended a special invitation as an honoured guest at the G20 summit due to be held in New Delhi. He expressed hope that Al Maawali would participate in the ninth P-20 summit to be hosted by the Parliament of India, later this year.

Birla also held a bilateral meeting with Ahmed bin Salman Al Musalam, Chairman of the Council of Representatives of India and Bahrain on the sidelines of the conference. He said that India and Bahrain have had civilizational and close ties since time immemorial. He expressed confidence that this relationship will be further strengthened in the times to come. Birla recalled that there was regular high level contact between the two countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed happiness that both the countries cooperated with each other in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic which demonstrates their deep and strong bilateral ties. He expressed hope that such exchanges would increase in the future, and further strengthen the ties between the two countries.

Referring to the Indian community based in Bahrain, Birla stressed that Bahrain is a highly favoured destination for Indians. He thanked the leadership and government of Bahrain for ensuring the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community. Birla expressed happiness that the Indian community is making a significant contribution to the development of Bahrain. Birla also expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the maintenance of Shrinathji Temple located in Manama, Bahrain.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla interacted with members of the Indian community at a function organized by the Embassy of India in Manama, Bahrain. He said that Birla said that the close relations between the two countries are based on shared cultural values, according to the statement. Birla attributed this achievement to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of the Indian diaspora and lauded their contribution towards Bahrain. He further said that both the countries enjoy cordial political, economic, cultural and civilizational relations. He called Indian community in Bahrain an important link between the two nations.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that the Indian community constitutes almost a quarter of the population of Bahrain and is the largest expatriate community who has left a significant and mark in all walks of life. He lauded Bahrain's top leadership for publicly acknowledging the contribution of the Indian Diaspora towards Bahrain's development and progress and for their proactive efforts in ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community. On March 10, Om Birla visited Manama with a Parliamentary delegation to attend the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.The Lok Sabha Speaker received a warm welcome from the Deputy Chairman and Members of the Bahrain Parliament Shura Jamal Fakhro. (ANI)

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