Parliamentary delegation led by LS speaker to attend IPU Assembly in Serbia

A parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla will attend the 141st assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) to be held in Serbia from October 13 to October 17, the Lok Sabha secretariat said on Friday.

The Indian Parliamentary delegation comprises MPs from across the party lines, including Shashi Tharoor, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Wansuk Syiem, Ram Kumar Verma and Sasmit Patra, the secretariat said.

Lok Sabha secretary general Snehlata Shrivastava and Rajya Sabha secretary general Desh Deepak Verma will also be part of the delegation that will depart on Saturday, it said in a statement.

During the assembly, Birla would address a gathering of presiding officers and parliamentarians from 179 member countries on overall theme of the assembly "Strengthening international law: parliamentary roles and mechanisms, and the contribution of regional cooperation", it said.

After the conclusion of the general debate, a declaration will be adopted by the assembly.

Birla will also address the gathering on development and economy at the speakers' dialogue on governance to be held during the assembly.

He will also hold various bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other parliaments on the sidelines to discuss matters of mutual interest and increased parliamentary cooperation.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is an international organisation of Parliaments of sovereign states with its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland. As a focal point for worldwide parliamentary dialogue since 1889, the IPU works for peace and cooperation among people and for the firm establishment of representative institutions.