New Delhi, INDIA.
On the sidelines of P20 Summit, Indian Parliament Speaker H.E. Mr. Om Birla held bilateral talks with H.E. Mrs. Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Birla thanked Mrs. Matvienko for her contribution in making P20 a success.
He also commended her political experience and contributions towards Parliament and the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU). Observing that India and Russia have long-standing deep relations, Mr. Birla said that both countries have stood together in times of crises. He added that India and Russia also have strong relations in diverse fields like military, agriculture, energy, and science and technology. Noting the mutual trust and close relations between leaders of India and Russia, Mr. Birla expressed hope that both India and Russia will continue to strengthen their mutual relationship by further expanding parliamentary diplomacy.
The delegation of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Upper House) led by Speaker Valentina Matvienko arrived to New Delhi to take part in the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20), which includes First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Andrei Turchak, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev and Member of the Federation Council Committee on Agricultural and Food Policy and Environmental Management Tatyana Gigel as well as members of the State Duma.
The theme of the event is “Parliaments for One Earth, One family, One future”. The forum programme includes four sections: “Agenda 2030 for SDGs: Showcasing Achievements, Accelerating Progress”, “Sustainable Energy Transition – Gateway to Green Future”, “Mainstreaming Gender Equality – From Women’s Empowerment to Women Led Development” and “Transformation in Peoples’ Lives through Public Digital Platforms”.
The programme of the Russian delegation’s visit also envisages negotiations with representatives of the leadership of the Republic of India.
Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko met with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) in New Delhi. The conversation took place after the Inaugural Session of the forum.
On the margins of the P20 Summit, Valentina Matvienko also briefly spoke with Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of the Republic of South Africa Nkosiyakhe Amos Masondo, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Speaker of the Federal National Council of the UAE Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia Dr Puan Maharani.
On October 13, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko held talks with Vice President of the Republic of India, Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Parliament of the Republic of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The Speaker expressed gratitude to him for the excellent organization of the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20). She underscored that India remains one of Russia’s key partners in Asia, and currently Moscow and New Delhi are conducting a multi-level confidential political dialogue, which is based on regular contacts between the leaders of the two countries.
During the meeting, the Parties discussed opportunities for strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership in the legislative dimension.
“I believe that one of the most important responsibilities of our Parliaments is to support and ensure implementation of those agreements that are reached at the highest level,” Valentina Matvienko noted.
They also touched upon the activities of Friendship Groups that were created in both Parliaments. Jagdeep Dhankhar praised the work of the inter-parliamentary commission. In his opinion, the launch of the newly created Friendship Group in the lower house of the Indian Parliament will pave the way for better interaction between the countries.
The Speaker of the Federation Council noted that her conversation with the Prime Minister was short, but very substantive. According to her, Narendra Modi is satisfied with how relations between our countries are developing in the fields of energy, agriculture and a number of other areas.
“Over the past year and a half, bilateral trade turnover has increased fivefold. Economic interaction is deepening, Indian companies’ interest in mutual cooperation with Russia is growing,” she noted.
Valentina Matvienko pointed out the positive background of Russian-Indian relations, largely due to the interaction between Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi who maintain the constant working contact.
The Speaker of the Federation Council underscored that the two countries have a good basis and large-scale prospects for interaction. This fact was reaffirmed by all representatives of the Indian leadership with whom she met during her two-day visit.
