New Delhi, Apr 7 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said that India and Uzbekistan share timeless ties of history and heritage and emphasised the need to enhance these ties in emerging area like digital technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and nuclear energy, alongside traditional sectors.
Birla said this during his meeting with President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in Tashkent on the sidelines of the 150th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union, a Lok Sabha Secretariat said here.
Underlining India’s ancient democratic traditions, Birla mentioned that guided by the Constitution, India has continually expanded its democratic values and prioritised social inclusion.
He further said that India has strengthened democracy at the grassroots level by ensuring 33 percent reservation for women in its local level governance.
He informed that by introducing the "Nari Shakti Vandan Act" as the first law in the new Parliament building, India not only reiterated its commitment to its democratic ethos but also ensured greater representation of women in state and central legislatures.
Stressing on the elevation of Indo-Uzbek relationship to a strategic partnership and the addition of new dimensions in recent years, the Speaker underlined that both nations have strengthened cooperation in various areas like economy, defence, education and trade.
He noted India is now one of Uzbekistan’s 10 largest trade partners.
Birla also highlighted the importance of increasing Parliamentary cooperation between the two Parliaments to exchange ideas on mutual interests and strengthen people-to-people contacts. He proposed promoting parliamentary exchanges in order to help both countries’ officials better understand each other’s systems and best practices.
Moreover, Birla appreciated the growing interest in Indian culture in Uzbekistan, particularly in music, dance, and yoga, as well as the increasing number of Indian students in Uzbek educational institutions.
During the day, Birla and members of Indian delegation paid floral tributes at the bust of the former Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent.
A day before at Tashkent, Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with Speaker of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) Amir Ohana. On this occasion, Birla fondly recalled the pleasant memories of their previous meeting in New Delhi in April 2023 and acknowledged Ohana's extraordinary contributions to Israel’s development.
He highlighted the long-standing strategic partnership between India and Israel, based on shared democratic values and mutual aspirations.
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