Speaker Om Birla lauds PM Modi's 'visionary' leadership for success of G20 Summit

New Delhi: As the Parliament session began on Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'visionary' leadership for the successful G20 Summit, and said India's G20 Presidency was inclusive, ambitious, decisive and people-centric.

Birla said Modi's 'vision and guidance' led to a consensus on sensitive issues in the New Delhi Declaration issued by the G20 leaders. In his remarks soon after the House met, he also congratulated the nation for successfully conducting the summit.

The Speaker said under India's G20 Presidency, 200 meetings were held in 60 cities across the country.

"The G20 New Delhi Leader's Summit, with delegates from 42 delegations from around the world, was extraordinary in its scale, grandeur, and impact. It provided the world an opportunity to witness India's diversity, democratic strength and talent," he said.

Noting that India's G20 presidency was inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, decisive and people-centric, Birla said the decisions taken at the G20 Leaders' Summit are transformative and will be instrumental in shaping the global economy in the coming decades.

"India emerged as a voice of peace and restraint in the world during the G20 Summit," he added.

The Parliament session will end on Friday.

"It was recognised globally that due to India's leadership and active efforts, success has been achieved in bridging the North-South divide and controlling East-West polarization in this divided world," Birla said.

"This highlights India's high stature in the world and showcases the achievements of the government over the past nine years," he added.

Underlining that India's presidency has played a crucial role in bringing the voice of the Global South to the centre of G20 discussions, Birla said that at the beginning of its presidency, India hosted the Voice of the Global South Leaders' Summit in January 2023, with leadership from 125 countries participating.

The priorities and expectations of Global South nations were included in the G20 agenda, he said.

He said the announcements made at the Leader's Summit are significant in enhancing international economic activity, ensuring more resources for development, expanding tourism, creating opportunities for global work, achieving robust food security through increased production and consumption of coarse grains, addressing skills shortages and mobility issues, mapping global value chains, supporting MSMEs, and committing to biofuels.

Birla said the inauguration of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the Global Biofuels Coalition during the G20 Summit is of utmost importance.

"These initiatives lay the foundation for a connected future, where India will continue to play a crucial role," he said.

The acceptance of high-level principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development (LiFE) and the need for significant growth in climate finance and investment in climate-resilient infrastructure by developing countries have been clearly demonstrated under India's leadership, Birla said.

India's Presidency has also witnessed the establishment of new G20 working groups, including those focused on reducing gender and disaster risk, as well as a new G20 group on startups, along with achievements in food security, land-related initiatives, tourism, maritime economy, and cultural pathways, he said.

Birla said these will guide the world in various sectors and make our citizens proud.

He said next month, Parliament will have the honour of hosting the Parliamentary P20 Forum under the chairmanship of our G-20 presidency.