Om Birla calls for stronger parliamentary diplomacy at the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi. (Img: X)
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s remarks came as India hosted the two-day forum on October 26–27, bringing parliamentary leaders and delegations from BRICS member and partner countries to the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan. The meeting’s agenda includes people-centric development, institutional resilience, ethical artificial intelligence, digital transformation, global governance reform and sustainable development.
Addressing delegates in Hindi at the inaugural session, Birla stressed that regional conflicts, wars, economic instability, trade tensions, terrorism and climate change transcend national boundaries. He argued that these interconnected challenges make dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation increasingly important.
Birla said parliaments have a distinctive role in building mutual understanding and trust, reducing international tensions and encouraging peaceful solutions to global challenges. His message placed parliamentary diplomacy at the centre of efforts to manage disagreements between countries without allowing differences to undermine cooperation.
The appeal comes at a time when geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainty are testing international partnerships. Although governments lead foreign policy, legislatures can provide additional channels for dialogue through parliamentary exchanges, committee-level engagement, lawmaking and deliberations on shared challenges.
The absence of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Ghalibaf has added a diplomatic dimension to the gathering. Iran’s embassy in New Delhi announced on October 24 that Ghalibaf would be unable to attend because of what it described as unforeseen circumstances. The embassy did not provide further details, while confirming that an Iranian parliamentary delegation would participate.
The development has attracted attention amid continuing tensions in West Asia and Ghalibaf’s prominent role in Iranian political and diplomatic affairs. However, the Iranian embassy has not officially linked his absence to the regional conflict or to any specific bilateral issue. His non-attendance should therefore not, by itself, be interpreted as a diplomatic snub or a change in Tehran’s position towards India.
Iran’s stated position is that it remains committed to active participation in BRICS meetings. Its delegation is expected to engage with counterparts and pursue discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly in parliamentary relations.
Birla highlighted the scale of BRICS, whose member countries collectively represent a substantial share of the world’s population, territory and economic activity. Despite differences in geography, culture, language and social systems, he pointed to shared interests and a common commitment to humanity as grounds for deeper engagement.
The Speaker also welcomed the unanimous joint statement adopted at the BRICS Heads of State meeting held in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chairmanship. He stressed that political commitments must translate into tangible outcomes, with parliaments contributing through legislation, budgetary decisions, debate and oversight.
The emphasis is significant because international declarations often require domestic institutions to turn broad commitments into practical policies. Legislatures can examine spending priorities, scrutinise implementation and debate measures affecting citizens, giving parliamentary cooperation a role beyond ceremonial diplomacy.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also underlined the forum’s importance, describing BRICS as a pivotal platform for global and regional cooperation given the population represented by its members.
Birla’s central message was that the consequences of conflict, terrorism and economic disruption rarely remain confined to one country. Whether the forum can convert that shared concern into practical cooperation will be a key measure of its success.
