NEW DELHI, India / AsiaWire.IO / – Members of parliament from BRICS nations held an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi. Modi and the visiting delegates exchanged views on a wide range of issues. The forum is taking place on October 26 and 27 in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, within the Parliament complex. India is hosting the event as the current chair of BRICS.
In a post on X, Modi said he had a wonderful interaction with MPs from BRICS nations at the forum. “We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of issues,” he wrote. Presiding officers, lawmakers and delegates from BRICS member and partner countries are attending the two-day meeting. Union ministers and Indian MPs are also taking part in the sessions. Birla had said ahead of the forum that Modi would meet the visiting delegates.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is hosting the forum, said it would feature both bilateral and multilateral discussions. The theme is “Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development.” Talks are focusing on how parliaments can respond to challenges in institutional resilience, ethical AI and digital transformation. Birla said suggestions for the agenda had come from 18 countries. Speakers and deputy speakers from several nations were expected to lead their delegations.
AI and global governance on agenda
Delegates are meeting in four high-level sessions built around resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. The innovation session examines the role of parliaments in digital technology and artificial intelligence. The cooperation session covers parliamentary collaboration for global governance. The sustainability session addresses how legislatures can support a sustainable and inclusive future. The format is designed to encourage consensus-based dialogue among member legislatures.
Chairs of international affairs committees are holding a separate meeting on parliamentary diplomacy, capacity building and best practices. Delegation secretaries met on October 25 to prepare a joint statement for the forum. India has established Parliamentary Friendship Groups with 64 countries. Birla said this was the first time such a major effort had been undertaken.
Iran’s speaker skips Delhi meeting
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf did not attend the forum, with the Iranian Embassy citing unforeseen circumstances in a post on X. The Iranian parliamentary delegation still joined the discussions with other member countries. Birla had earlier said that Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia would not be attending. The Vice-President of India is hosting a banquet for the visiting dignitaries.
The parliamentary gathering is part of an active diplomatic calendar for India. Modi held talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in New Delhi last week and met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit. The forum offers BRICS legislators a regular channel for cooperation alongside government-level summits. The 12th edition closes on October 27.