London [UK], January 9 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended a reception held in his honour at India House in London on Wednesday, where he addressed and interacted with the Indian diaspora. India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, was also present. 
Earlier in the day, Birla met with UK House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and highlighted India’s distinction as the “world’s largest and most vibrant democracy.” Birla congratulated Hoyle on his re-election as the Speaker of the UK House of Commons. 
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated, “Pleased to meet H.E. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, in London today. Congratulated him on his re-election as Speaker of the House of Commons for the second time. Highlighted India’s distinction as the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy, with a strong foundation at the grassroots level.”
“Emphasized Election Commission of India’s (@ECISVEEP) impressive track record of conducting free, fair, transparent, and impartial elections, ensuring the integrity of India’s electoral process. Also mentioned about our focus on gender equality,” he added.
https://x.com/ombirlakota/status/1876948157982183935
Birla also attended a lunch hosted by Hoyle at the Palace of Westminster. In another post shared on X, the Lok Sabha speaker stated, “Glad to be with my gracious host H.E. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons and other dignitaries during the lunch hosted by Mr. Hoyle at Palace of Westminster. India and the United Kingdom enjoy a deep and special relationship. Our ties remain strong, based on mutual respect, shared democratic values and our commitment to human dignity and the Rule of Law. Confident that this visit would further strengthen the deep-rooted friendly ties between the Parliaments of India and the United Kingdom and the people of the two countries.”
During the meeting with Hoyle, Birla stressed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has an “excellent track record” of conducting free, fair, independent and impartial elections and called India a vibrant democracy with one billion voters. Highlighting encouraging participation of women in the election process in India, he noted that such participation shows the inclusiveness in our electoral process.
He said that India is celebrating 75 years since the adoption of the Constitution and added that the Constitution of India has brought transformative socio-economic changes in the country. He expressed hope that India will be a developed country by 2047, according to the statement released by Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Noting that democracy in India is deeply rooted from the grassroots level to Parliament, Birla said that India is bridging the gender gap in economy, polity and society through policy interventions. Highlighting India’s achievements as a parliamentary democracy, he emphasised that despite the diversities, India has been successful in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of different sections of society through parliamentary dialogues and discussion.
He also mentioned the use of digital technology in India’s Parliament. He stated that the use of digital technology has empowered the legislators and has helped them in discharging their parliamentary responsibilities more efficiently and State legislatures are also adopting new technologies to improve their functions.
Calling for strengthening parliamentary cooperation between India and the UK, he stressed more and more exchange of parliamentary knowledge, best practices and experiences between the two countries. He stated that youth and women parliamentarians of India and the UK should interact more frequently, according to the statement released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Om Birla informed that the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) at Lok Sabha Secretariat has emerged as one of the world-class institutions in providing parliamentary training. He discussed strengthening parliamentary cooperation through capacity building of legislators.
Noting that people-to-people ties constitute the foundation of warm bilateral ties, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that this bonhomie has made the relationship stronger and multifaceted. He noted that bilateral relations between India and the UK have strengthened in the fields of science and technology, research and innovation, and space, and this has benefited the people of both nations.
Referring to the historical, cultural and economic ties between India and the UK, he noted with satisfaction that both countries are working together in addressing humanitarian problems of food and health security and finding answers to growing challenges like climate change.
Om Birla also held a meeting with the UK’s Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Pat McFadden and thanked him for his appreciation of India’s robust growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders held discussions on various issues like free trade, economic ties, Artificial Intelligence and people-to-people ties. 
Taking to X, Birla stated, “Had a pleasant meeting with H.E. Mr. Pat McFadden, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations of the United Kingdom. We had discussions ranging from free trade and exchange, better people-to-people contact and strong economic ties to information technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and creativity. Thanked him for his appreciation of India’s robust growth under the leadership of Prime Minister @narendramodi.”
“Our historic relations have evolved into a robust, multifaceted and mutually beneficial partnership covering multiple sectors including Defence, Health, Education and climate change. The resilience of our relations was evident in our cooperation during the Covid-19 pandemic including on development of vaccines. Hope that India-UK relations will receive a fresh impetus under the new Government in the United Kingdom,” he added.
https://x.com/ombirlakota/status/1877033294828855540
Lok Sabha Speaker is on a five-day official visit to the United Kingdom, Scotland and Guernsey, an official statement said. During his visit to Scotland, Birla will meet Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, and John Swinney MSP, First Minister of Scotland. He will also interact with cross-party Members of the Scottish Parliament, according to the official statement.
On January 10, Birla will chair the meeting of the Standing Committee of Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Guernsey. He will chair this meeting in his capacity as the host of the 28th CSPOC, which is scheduled to be held in India in 2026. Birla will also meet his counterparts from other Parliaments on the sidelines of this meeting. (ANI)
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