New Delhi- 03 October : On an official visit to India, a delegation led by H.E. Mrs. Raquel Peña Rodríguez, Vice President of the Dominican Republic called on Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla in Parliament House, today.
At the outset, Shri Birla extended a warm welcome to H.E. Mrs. Raquel Peña Rodríguez and other members of the Delegation. Highlighting the newly built Parliament House, Shri Birla noted that it is a symbol of India’s diversity and democratic journey. The newly built Parliament House incorporates designs, materials, and cultures from all parts of the nation, informed Shri Birla.
Congratulating H.E. Mrs. Raquel Peña Rodríguez on the completion of 25 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations, Shri Birla mentioned that both the countries share close ties based on a strong foundation of mutual friendship, shared values of democracy and similarity of views on global issues. Noting that India and the Dominican Republic both have strong parliamentary systems and shared democratic values, Shri Birla opined that both nations must further strengthen their parliamentary exchanges to boost democracy.
Informing the delegation about the recently passed historic Nari Shakti Vandan Bill, Shri Birla said that the legislation shall pave the way for women led development in India. Talking about the New Delhi G20 Summit, Shri Birla said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi India ensured the historic inclusion of the African Union in G20 and gave voice to the aspirations of the global south in the spirit of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam.
Emphasising that many Members of Parliament in India are particularly passionate about technology, artificial intelligence, digitisation, direct benefit transfer, inclusive growth and social empowerment, Shri Birla noted that through mutual cooperation, both Parliaments will gain better insights in these areas. He urged for wider cooperation between the two Governments and Parliaments on issues like empowerment of weaker sections and disaster management, etc. Mentioning the immense potential for development in the tourism sector between India and the Dominican Republic, Shri Birla said that both the countries have historic and picturesque places and that they can develop a common approach for enhancing cooperation in this area. Shri Birla also expressed hope that in the coming times, India and Dominican Republic will strengthen their economic and trade relations. India is ready to provide its full cooperation in this regard, stressed Shri Birla.
H.E. Mrs. Raquel Peña Rodríguez thanked Shri Birla for the hospitality and expressed gratitude for India’s timely supply of COVID vaccines under ‘Vaccine Maitri’ which immensely helped her country during the pandemic. She commended the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill and expressed hope that India and Dominican Republic shall increase and diversify their trade and cooperate on fields like cyber security and artificial intelligence.
This visit also marks the first high level diplomatic engagement in the newly built Parliament House. Earlier, similar visits used to take place in Samvidhan Sadan.
