New Delhi: The first ever G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20 Summit) hosted by the world’s largest democracy concluded at India International Convention Centre, Yashobhoomi, today with parliamentarians from across the world coming together and reaffirming their commitment to continue their joint work to make an effective and meaningful parliamentary contribution to the G20 process. The ninth edition of the P20 Summit, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13, 2023, came to a close with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla delivering the valedictory address at the concluding session today. Deputy Chairperson, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh; President of Inter-Parliamentary Union, Duarte Pacheco; Presiding Officers of Parliaments of G20 nations and other dignitaries graced the concluding session. The two-day summit was preceded by a Parliamentary Forum on Mission LiFE on October 12, 2023.

Addressing fellow parliamentarians and other leaders at the closing session today, the Lok Sabha Speaker thanked 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”. The P20 process has been further strengthened by the adoption of the Joint Statement, highlighted Birla. He expressed confidence that the valuable views and inputs shared during the sessions on Sustainable Development Goals, green energy, women-led development and digital public infrastructure will further strengthen the G-20 process for human-centred development.

Mentioning the parliamentary dimension of G20, the Speaker noted that the discussions held over the past two days have clearly underlined the importance of the parliamentary dimension of G20 and have also established how Parliaments can work together to achieve the collective goals of One Earth, One Family and One Future.

Stressing on multilateralism, Birla observed that in today's inter-connected world, we cannot view any particular issue in isolation. He reiterated Paragraph 27 of the Joint Statement, which reads as follows:

"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."

Birla also reiterated the collective determination of Parliaments of G20 nations to pursue the shared commitments at the COP-20, G-20 and beyond, in the times to come.  Speaking on the role of parliamentarians, the Speaker noted that as public representatives, the Members of Parliament are in a special position to formulate the policies and laws necessary to fulfill the hopes, aspirations and needs of the public. “Our role is to complement the efforts of the government; we have a special contribution in ensuring good governance for the purpose of public welfare”.

On the conclusion of India’s P20 presidency, the Lok Sabha Speaker handed over the presidency to Parliament of Brazil.

On the sidelines of P20 Summit, Lok Sabha Speaker Birla held bilateral talks with H.E. 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 in 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 crises. He added that India and Russia also have strong relations in diverse fields like the 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.

Lok Sabha Speaker Birla also held bilateral discussions with the Vice President of the European Parliament H.E. Nicola  Beer. Birla underlined India's sovereignty and protested against bringing proposal in European Parliament on India's internal issues. He insisted that every nation and parliament is sovereign and that their internal issues should not be discussed by others. Beer congratulated Birla for a successful P20 Summit and emphasised on closer relations of 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.

Lok Sabha Speaker Birla held bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart H.E. Kurtulmus, Speaker, Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Birla expressed his gratitude to to Kurtulmus for attending the P20 Summit and commended his views towards Mahatma Gandhi. Noting the historical 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 will 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 favourite place for Indian destination weddings. He added that tourism and cultural relations between India and Turkey will also be strengthened through parliamentary diplomacy.

Lok Sabha Speaker Birla held bilateral meeting with H.E. Seah Kian Peng, Speaker of Parliament of Singapore. Commending Singapore's efforts in tackling climate change, Birla urged for promotion of clean and green energy by sharing technology. He also stressed on increasing cooperation in trade, industry and green technology between the two countries. 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 have completed three decades of naval relations, Birla emphasized on a need to increase cooperation in defence and related sectors, according to a PIB release.

The Lok Sabha Speaker also met Jan Anthonie Bruijn, President of the Senate, Netherlands. Interacting with him, Birla said that the New Parliament Building of India symbolizes for us a New Beginning signalling 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 the ties between the two countries, he suggested that India and Netherlands can further strengthen partnership through regular exchange of ideas and experts, and exploring further opportunities in areas of mutual interest.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart from South Africa H.E. Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula, on the sidelines of the P20 Summit. 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 Membership of the African Union in the G20 testifies 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 H.E. Marcela Guerra Castillo, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mexico 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 civilizational ties, with a firm belief in strong democratic and secular values. /BI/

Source: PIB