NEW DELHI, October 26 (Aalimi Nation) – Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday inaugurated the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, saying parliaments can play an important role in strengthening mutual understanding and trust and in finding peaceful solutions to global challenges.
The inaugural ceremony began at 10 am at Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament complex. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the inaugural session and met leaders of visiting delegations. He also welcomed Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, and delegations from partner countries on the sidelines. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also arrived for the meeting.
Delegations from 11 BRICS member countries and 10 partner countries are taking part in the two-day forum, which is being held under the theme "Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development".
Birla, who is the forum's chairman, noted that the grouping is completing two decades since its establishment and has emerged as an increasingly influential platform for the Global South. He listed regional conflicts, wars, economic instability, trade tensions, terrorism and climate change among the challenges facing the world, and called for solutions that improve the lives of citizens.
He urged member countries to translate their shared commitments into concrete policies and practical cooperation. Describing the unanimous adoption of the Joint Declaration at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, chaired by Modi, as a major achievement, he said the aspirations of the grouping must be turned into practical outcomes.
On the role of legislators, Birla said parliaments must understand the aspirations of young people and connect their talents to nation-building. He said the true strength of parliamentary diplomacy lies in bringing a democratic perspective into international relations. He described India as the "mother of democracy" and said its strength rests on dialogue, diversity of opinion and mutual respect.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh described India as a repository of knowledge, wisdom and civilisational heritage. He said BRICS, which represents nearly half of the world's population, is an effective multilateral platform, and spoke of the need to strengthen the voice of the Global South and to promote reforms of global governance.
He added that parliaments must be vigilant, responsive and future-ready as they deal with economic uncertainty, technological change, climate change, public health emergencies and social inequality.
MP Naresh Bansal said BRICS accounts for nearly half the world's population, about 40 per cent of global GDP and roughly 24 per cent of global trade. He noted that India holds the current presidency and that the forum addresses global challenges, especially those faced by developing nations. MP Rajeev Rai said he hoped the forum could help keep the "overbearing influence" of the United States in check, adding that India stands united on foreign policy on peace and development.
Sessions over the two days are expected to cover resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, including oversight of artificial intelligence. The forum is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday.
A report that the speaker of Iran's parliament did not attend, although members of his delegation arrived in Delhi, could not be confirmed from official sources. It is also not yet known whether the forum will adopt a joint declaration of its own, and no text had been released at the time of writing.
