LS Speaker Om Birla Meets Commonwealth Counterparts at CSPOC
New Delhi, January 16: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday held bilateral meetings with Speakers and Presiding Officers from several Commonwealth countries on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), hosted by the Parliament of India.
During his interaction with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Birla highlighted India’s growing focus on artificial intelligence, science and technology-driven research, and innovation. He noted that several UK universities are expanding operations in India and reaffirmed commitment to strengthening two-way investment and foreign direct investment flows between the two countries.
In talks with Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra, Speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius, Birla underlined the high level of trust and mutual understanding characterising bilateral ties. Both sides expressed interest in deepening parliamentary cooperation to promote democracy, peace and prosperity.
Birla also met Dithapelo Lefoko Keorapetse, Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, and discussed the role of CSPOC in enhancing democratic dialogue, transparency and inter-parliamentary cooperation, while appreciating his leadership as a young Speaker.
In meetings with Claudius James Francis, Speaker of the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia, and Alvina Reynolds, President of the Senate, discussions focused on India’s engagement with CARICOM and the Global South, digital parliament initiatives, AI-based innovations, capacity building, and digital payment systems such as UPI.
With Mussa Azan Zungu, Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania, Birla highlighted the long-standing India–Tanzania relationship, rooted in anti-colonial solidarity, non-alignment and South-South cooperation.
Addressing the inaugural session of CSPOC, Birla emphasised the need to maintain the dignity and credibility of parliamentary institutions, cautioning against the misuse of AI and social media while calling for ethical and accountable frameworks. He noted India’s progress in adopting digital technologies in legislatures and reaffirmed the importance of Commonwealth platforms in addressing global democratic challenges.
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