Parliamentary Goodwill Delegation
14-Jun-2023: The Parliamentary Goodwill Delegation Visits Brazil Under the Leadership of Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi
As part of celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Brazil, and as a follow-up to the meeting between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President of Brazil, Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the side-lines of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines, Shri. Pralhad Joshi led a 10-member Parliament goodwill delegation to Brazil from June 11 to 13, 2023.
Shri G Srinivas, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs stated that this was the first Goodwill Delegation of Parliament and the visit underscores the high importance that India places on its relations with Brazil, a strategic partner since 2006.
During their visit, the delegation paid homage to the busts of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, a symbol of the shared democratic values and peace between India and Brazil, situated at the heart of the city parks of Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro.
On 13 June, the delegation held a meeting with Mr. Rodrigo Otavio Soares Pacheco, the President of the Federal Senate, Upper House of Brazilian Parliament. The exchange during the meeting was a testament to the growing strategic partnership between India and Brazil, underlined by mutual understanding and cooperation. Mr. Pacheco also thanked and accepted the invitation from Hon'ble Minister to visit India leading a delegation of parliamentarians.
The delegation also met Senator Nelson Trad, President of the India-Brazil Friendship Front, and other prominent members of the Front. This interaction laid the foundation for a further deepening of the diplomatic ties between the two nations.
This was followed by a productive meeting with Mr. Marcos Pereira, Dy. President of the Congress and Federal Deputy Vinicius Carvalho, President of the India-Brazil Parliamentary Friendship Group, and several of its distinguished members.
During the visit, both sides expressed their satisfaction over the significant increase in bilateral trade over the past two years. The total bilateral trade surged by an impressive 115% from US$7.05 billion in 2020 to US$15.20 billion in 2022. This emphasis on strategic trade expansion reflects the commitment of both nations to forging a mutually beneficial partnership, driving economic development, and bolstering diplomatic ties.
During the course of the visit in both Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, the Minister Shri Joshi met with members of the Indian community residing in Brazil. He updated them on India’s swift socio-economic development, highlighting the various policy initiatives by the government that have contributed to this progress. The meetings offered an opportunity for community members to better understand and connect with the ongoing growth story of India, further strengthening the bond between the Indian diaspora and their motherland.
Ambassador Suresh Reddy noted that this visit by the Goodwill Delegation from the Indian Parliament marks a significant step in the rich history of India-Brazil bilateral relations. He stated that while, reinforcing our shared commitment to democratic values and paving the way for enhanced collaboration in various fields, the visit is also expected to facilitate visits of Parliamentary delegations from the Senate and Congress to India.
W20 (Women 20)
14-Jun-2023: W20 Summit Women-Led Development; Transform, Thrive and Transcend
Women 20 Summit is set to take place in Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India on 14th - 16th June 2023. The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Women-Led Development- Transform, Thrive and Transcend’. The summit will consist of an exhibition, a Janbhagidari event, 8 sessions and a closed-door meeting.
Under India’s presidency, W20 is committed to ensuring increased grassroots-level participation and enhanced stakeholdership of citizens in the W20 process. The summit will begin with a Janbhagidari (Citizen’s Connect Program) which is set on the theme of ‘The Journey of Empowerment’. During the event, transformational stories of women from across India will be shared with the W20 international delegates. The Janbhagidari event also provides grassroots women of Tamil Nadu the platform for sharing their concerns, stories and questions with global women leaders and policymakers. Ms. Bansuri Swaraj, Supreme Court Advocate, W20 India Delegate will deliver the opening remarks followed by five grassroots women of India and Ms. Megha Harsha, Artist & Guinness World record holder who will share their inspirational stories with the delegates of W20. Ms. Virginia Littlejohn, Co-HoD USA, will enrich the session by sharing her experience in empowering grassroots women. The event has been facilitated by the National Rural Livelihood Mission, Ministry of Rural Development, GOI and the Government of Tamil Nadu.
India - UAE
12-Jun-2023: Successful conclusion of the 1st Meeting of the Joint Committee of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
India and UAE successfully held the 1st Meeting of the Joint Committee (JC) of the India-UAE CEPA. During the JC, both sides, inter-alia, reviewed the bilateral trade under the CEPA, agreed to operationalize the established committees/sub-committees/technical council under the CEPA, agreed on mutual exchange of preferential trade data on quarterly basis for effective monitoring of the CEPA, discussed various matters related to the implementation of the Agreement and agreed on addressing any issue that may potentially act as a hindrance to CEPA implementation or its usage by businesses on both sides, agreed on creation of a new sub-committee on Trade in Services, and also agreed to set-up a UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) as a B2B collaboration mechanism, with a focus on MSMEs and start-ups, for building greater economic linkages and optimizing CEPA benefits.
Both sides also exchanged views on WTO matters. The 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO (MC13) is scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the week of 26 February 2024.