Constitution is our strength, our soul: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tells Mauritius Speaker

New Delhi [India], August 16 (ANI): Speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius Duval Adrien Charles called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the Parliament House Complex today.

Congratulating Duval on his appointment as the Speaker, Birla was happy to note that his first State visit was to India after being elected as the Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly. Birla described the visit as proof of the strength and uniqueness of bilateral ties between the two countries.

He hoped that under the leadership of Duval, cooperation between India and Mauritius in international parliamentary fora such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will continue to expand.

Referring to the celebration of India’s 78th Independence Day, Birla said that at the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, crores of Indian families hoisted the National Flag at their homes under ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ Abhiyan.

He added that this campaign is a reflection of the dedication of crores of Indians towards the realization of Viksit Bharat. Referring to the success of parliamentary democracy in India, Birla observed that the Constitution is the strength and soul of the nation.

Highlighting the fact that today India is the 5th largest economy in the world, he noted that there have been vast socio-economic changes in the nation in the last 78 years. In this context, he mentioned that through discussion and dialogue, not only have many national issues been solved, but the nation’s development journey is also progressing smoothly.

Referring to the age-old relations between India and Mauritius, Birla observed that there are many similarities between the two countries with regard to spirituality, language and culture which promote people to people connect between the nations.

He added that even today the people of Mauritius remain connected to Indian culture, which shows the unity and collective strength of the two countries. Birla described the visit of thousands of Indian tourists to Mauritius every year as a strong pillar of people to people contact between the two countries.

Expressing happiness that the partnership between India and Mauritius is growing in various fields continually, Birla expressed hope that this cooperation will deepen further in important areas like digitalization and Artificial Intelligence.

Regarding the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) of the Indian Parliament, Birla said that PRIDE is playing a very important role in the field of parliamentary training and its training programs have so far benefited legislators and officials from more than 100 countries.

To promote parliamentary cooperation between India and Mauritius, Birla stressed on the exchange of parliamentary delegations between the two countries. He added that relations between the citizens of India and Mauritius can be further strengthened through parliamentary diplomacy.

Expressing satisfaction over the closeness of bilateral relations between India and Mauritius based on shared democratic values and ideals, he said that on the basis of these shared values, the two Parliaments should increase cooperation among themselves.

Speaking on the occasion, Duval said that he was honoured and grateful for his visit to India. He congratulated Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on his historic reelection as the Speaker, Lok Sabha earlier this year. He also extended congratulations on behalf of the people and Parliament of Mauritius on the occasion of India’s 78th Independence Day.

Expressing admiration towards the Indian electoral process, Duval commended the Election Commission for its fair and transparent conduct.

Calling the bilateral relationship between India and Mauritius as a privileged relationship, Duval expressed gratitude over the assistance extended by Sansad TV to the Mauritius Parliament.

Mentioning the Digital Transformation Program for the Mauritian Parliament, Duval informed that the Digital Sansad initiative of the Parliament of India is paving the way forward for a similar initiative in Mauritius. Duval emphasized on closer cooperation between the two Parliaments for Digital Technology and Training initiatives.