New Delhi | Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday met with the presiding officers of parliaments of Switzerland, the Maldives, Thailand, Armenia and Nepal on the sidelines of Inter Parliamentary Union assembly in Geneva.
Birla, during his interaction with Eric Nussbaumer, the President of the National Council of Switzerland, made a strong pitch for strengthening parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
He expressed satisfaction at increasing Swiss investments in India and highlighted the massive infrastructure development projects undertaken in the country in recent years.
The Lok Sabha Speaker also met Mongkol Surasajja, the President of the Senate of Thailand.
Birla highlighted the rich cultural, linguistic, and religious bonds that connect India and Thailand.
The Speaker also stressed on the need for increased parliamentary ties and invited MPs and officials of the Thai Parliament to attend training courses at Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE).
Earlier, Birla offered tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Geneva.
In his interaction with Alen Simonyan, the President of Armenia's National Assembly, Birla emphasised India's emergence as a land of opportunities, driven by political stability and the youthful population.
"This presents a compelling case for enhancing our trade and investment partnerships," Birla told Simonyan.
During his meeting with Abdul Raheem Abdulla, the Speaker of the People's Majlis of Maldives, Birla expressed confidence that sharing best parliamentary practices would help improve the democratic systems.
He also called for increased Maldivian participation in training programs organised by PRIDE, and said that this collaboration would further promote democratic principles in both nations.
The Lok Sabha speaker also met Narayan Prasad Dahal, the Chairperson of National Assembly of Nepal, and emphasized that the two countries were not just neighbours but also custodians of shared history and culture.
Birla is leading the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 149th IPU assembly in Geneva.