Iran’s Parliament Speaker Qalibaf to skip BRICS parliamentary forum in New Delhi

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf will not attend the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi on October 26-27 due to “certain unforeseen circumstances”, the Iranian Embassy in India announced on Saturday.

The embassy confirmed that an Iranian parliamentary delegation would participate in the meeting, reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to engaging with other BRICS members through the grouping’s summits and meetings.

“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi wishes to inform that, due to certain unforeseen circumstances, H.E. Dr. Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, will be unable to attend the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries in New Delhi,” the embassy said in a statement.

“It is also emphasised that the parliamentary delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate in the meeting. As one of the members of BRICS, Iran reaffirms its commitment to active and effective participation at the highest levels in the summits and meetings of this grouping,” it added.

Iran delegation to continue engagement with BRICS members

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Tehran’s delegation will continue dialogue and consultations with representatives of BRICS member countries in New Delhi, with the aim of expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly in parliamentary affairs.

The Iranian Embassy also thanked the Indian government for its hospitality and arrangements for the meeting.

“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran also expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of India for its gracious hospitality and the arrangements made to host this meeting. It wishes the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries every success and hopes that it will yield constructive outcomes towards strengthening cooperation and engagement among member countries,” the statement said.

BRICS parliamentary forum to begin on October 26

The Parliament of India will host the two-day forum on October 26 and 27 at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan. Parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries are expected to attend the meeting, which is being held under India’s chairship.

The event will focus on people-centric development and bring together presiding officers and parliamentary leaders, Union Ministers, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, presiding officers of state legislatures, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries.

Earlier this week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla described the forum as a new chapter in India’s parliamentary diplomacy.

Birla said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the event and meet the leaders of visiting delegations.

The programme will include bilateral and multilateral discussions involving visiting delegations and parliamentary friendship groups. A meeting of delegation secretaries is scheduled for Monday to finalise the joint statement of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum.

Four sessions to focus on global cooperation and development

The forum will deliberate on the overarching theme, “Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development”.

According to Birla, the discussions will be organised into four high-level sessions covering institutional resilience, innovation, global governance and sustainability.

The sessions are titled:

• Resilience: The critical role of parliaments in strengthening institutions to ensure a better future.
• Innovation: Promoting human-centred innovation in artificial intelligence and digital technologies through parliaments.
• Cooperation: Ensuring a more representative system of global governance through parliamentary cooperation.
• Sustainability: The role of parliaments in ensuring a sustainable and inclusive future for participating countries.

The forum is expected to facilitate consensus-based dialogue among participating countries, building on the legacy of previous BRICS Parliamentary Forums.

Delegates will also visit the Parliament of India and take part in cultural visits in Delhi.