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WorldDiplomacy

BRICS lawmakers gather in Delhi as Volodin arrives and Iran's Ghalibaf pulls out

Delegation secretaries meet on Sunday to settle the joint statement for the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, which opens in Samvidhan Sadan on Monday.

From the editorial desk · New DelhiPublished
Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin (file photo)
Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin (file photo)Photo: duma.gov.ru / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Key points

  1. The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum runs on 26 and 27 October in Samvidhan Sadan's Central Hall.
  2. Russian Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin is on his first foreign trip as head of the new Duma.
  3. Iran's Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will stay away over unforeseen circumstances.

Lawmakers from BRICS member and partner countries are gathering in New Delhi for the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, which opens in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on Monday. On Sunday the secretaries of the visiting delegations meet to finalise the forum’s joint statement.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who will chair the two-day meeting, said member parliaments had been sending in their ideas for the text. “So far, suggestions have been received from 18 countries, and discussions will take place accordingly,” he said. The theme is “Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend and meet the leaders of the visiting delegations, Birla said.

Volodin in, Ghalibaf out

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of Russia’s State Duma, flew into Delhi on Saturday at the head of a group of Russian lawmakers. It is his first foreign trip since he took charge of the new Duma. Besides the forum sessions, he is due to meet Indian officials and MPs to discuss economic, social and technological cooperation and closer ties between the two parliaments.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will not make the trip. The Iranian embassy in New Delhi said he would be absent “due to certain unforeseen circumstances”, and added: “It is also emphasized that the parliamentary delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate in the meeting.” The embassy did not say who would lead it. Ghalibaf’s absence comes as Iran faces renewed threats of US strikes and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia continue.

For India, the forum is a showcase of what Birla calls parliamentary diplomacy. Parliament has set up friendship groups with 64 countries, he said. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, presiding officers of state legislatures and Union ministers are also due to take part, alongside bilateral meetings on the sidelines.