A 20-member parliamentary delegation from South Africa led by Speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly M V Sisulu and Chairperson of National Council of Provinces of South Africa M J Mahlangu called on Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today.
Welcoming the delegation, Meira Kumar expressed the view that India and South Africa share a cordial and deep relationship.
“Both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela have shown great commitment towards world peace. While the Mahatma experimented with truth and non-violence on South African soil before implementing it in India, Mandela guided the people to the virtues of freedom and peace,” she said.
She felt the two countries shared commonalities at diverse international fora, including NAM, BRICS and IBSA. “In fact, South Africa is a credible partner in India’s efforts in democratizing multilateral organizations.”
She hoped frequent exchange of parliamentary delegations between the two countries would further strengthen the friendly relationship.
Lauding South Africa for having the third highest number of women parliamentarians in the world, Kumar said India needs to emulate its success story in women empowerment.
Responding to the sentiments expressed by Kumar, M V Sisulu said India is an economic giant and remains an inspiration to South Africa and the two countries can learn from each other’s experiences.
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