New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday asserted that all democratic nations bound by a shared commitment to peace, security, and the rule of law will have to come together to eradicate the menace of terrorism.

He stressed that terrorism poses a profound global challenge that transcends national borders and threatens the very fabric of peaceful societies.

He called for a collective and resolute response, grounded in mutual trust and respect for international norms, to effectively combat terrorism and uphold the values that define democratic societies, a Lok Sabha Secretariat said.

Birla said this during his meeting with Japanese Parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Nukaga Fukushiro at Parliament House complex.

Nukaga Fukushiro strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed Japan's steadfast support for India's fight against terrorism.

Birla appreciated the leadership of Japan for expressing solidarity with India on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and emphasised that in the current global scenario, friendship between India and Japan is essential for global peace, prosperity and stability.

Referring to partnership between both the countries in multilateral forums like QUAD, G20 and International Solar Alliance, Birla said, "We have common concerns and thoughts on regional and global issues. Our relations based on mutual understanding are extremely important for co-beneficial progress as well as for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In the changing context, the friendship has now taken the form of strategic and global cooperation."

The Lok Sabha Speaker noted that the friendship between India and Japan is based on civilisational contacts, shared heritage of Buddhism and shared commitment to democratic values.

He also expressed happiness that every year a large number of Japanese tourists and pilgrims visit India to go to places related to Buddhism which promotes people to people connect between the two countries.

He welcomed the Japanese proposal to provide opportunities to more than 50,000 skilled human resources of India in various sectors in Japan. He also thanked Japan for its assurance of support in infrastructure development of India's North East region.

Noting that last year, India completed the golden journey of 75 years of Constitution, Birla mentioned that Constitution has played an important role in India’s journey of progress and development. Under the guidance of the Constitution, the country has made large scale socio-economic changes after independence and has kept public welfare at top priority, he added.

Birla also informed that the Indian Parliament has increased the use of digital technology and AI to bring transparency in its functioning and make it accessible to the public and more efficient, which has yielded positive results. He expressed eagerness to share these experiences with the Parliament of Japan.

Present were Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh; MPs Sanjay Jha, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Deepender Singh Hooda and Kamaljeet Sehrawat.

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