Birla stresses on multilateralism, says no issue can be viewed in isolation

New Delhi, Oct 15: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday while stressing on multilateralism, observed that in today's inter-connected world, no particular issue can be viewed in isolation.

Delivering his valedictory address at the conclusion of the P20 summit, he reiterated the contents of Paragraph 27 of the joint statement which reads: "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 thanked the Presiding Officers of Parliaments of G20 nations and of other invited nations for contributing to the success of the P20 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 G20 process for human-centred 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.

The Lok Sabha Speaker also reiterated the collective determination of 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 MPs 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.

On the conclusion of India's P20 presidency, Birla handed over the presidency to Parliament of Brazil.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of P20 summit, the Lok Sabha Speaker met President of 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, he added.

Birla suggested that democratic principles and multilateralism should be given priority and everyone should be given proper representation on global platforms.

Shared objective of both India and IPU is to democratise international governance structures that reflect current realities. Birla also held bilateral talks with Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Speaking on the occasion, he 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 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.