BRICS Parliamentary Forum: Saudi Arabia Declines Participation as India Hosts Meeting from October 26

Saudi Arabia has declined to participate in the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum to be hosted by India in New Delhi on October 26 and 27. Ethiopia has also decided not to attend the meeting, while high-level parliamentary delegations from BRICS member states and other participating countries are expected to take part.

The central theme of the forum is “Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development.” Discussions will focus on institutional strengthening, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, reforms in global governance and sustainable development.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Dr Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is expected to attend the forum with a four-member delegation, while Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin will lead a 10-member delegation. Representatives from China, including Zheng Jianbang, as well as parliamentary delegations from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil, are also expected to participate.

Further details regarding the participation of delegations from South Africa, Indonesia and other countries are yet to emerge.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the event and hold meetings with the heads of parliamentary delegations from various countries. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will preside over the forum.

Saudi Arabia's decision to stay away comes as India prepares to host parliamentary representatives from several countries for discussions on parliamentary cooperation and issues related to global governance under the BRICS framework. However, the reasons behind Riyadh's decision not to participate have not yet been clarified.