Visit by the Presidium of the Danish Parliament
The Presidium of the Danish Parliament led by the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Søren Gade paid a visit to India from March 3-8. The delegation travelled to India to gain insight into the Indian political system and to learn more about Indo-Danish collaborations under the umbrella of the Green Strategic Partnership.
The Presidium began their programme in India’s capital, New Delhi. Here, they got an introduction to the Indian political system from various perspectives. Midway, the delegation travelled to Mumbai. In Mumbai, the programme focused on trade between India and Denmark, as well as on the Strategic Sector Cooperation in the Maritime Sector including a site visit to A. P. Moller terminal.
On Sunday in New Delhi, the delegation kick-started their visit with a meeting with the ruling political party BJP’s President, Mr. J.P. Nadda for a discussion on the upcoming Lok Sabha election in India.
Mr. Søren Gade expressed that he is “very happy to be here before the elections, and getting a feel for how much the Indian population values democracy. Elections are the cornerstone of democracy. Representing the Danish Parliament, I am pleased to say, that first and foremost we share a belief in democracy and democratic values.”
The following days met with various stakeholders from governmental agencies and NGO’s. Among others, the Presidium met with Lt. Gen. S.S. Dahiya, commandant of National Defence College of India, Mr. Piyush Goyal, Indian Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon’ble Dr. Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court, Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President of India, Mr. Bharat Lal, Secretary General of Indian National Human Right Committee (NHRC).
The Presidium concluded the programme in Delhi by visiting the New Parliament House.
On Wednesday, the delegation flew to Mumbai. Here, they paid site visits and met with Danish business representatives in India. On the first day, they visited IRLA Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Storm Water Pumping Station, A.M. Naik School and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at the L&T campus in Powai, Mumbai.
Thurday, the Speaker was gave a special address and participated in the the annual UN Women “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”-event on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th. Afterwards, the Presidium was given a tour around Bombay Stock Exchange where the event took place. In the afternoon, the Presidium met with Chairman of India Port Association and Mumbai Port Authority, Mr. Rajiv Jalota to discuss India’s green ambitions for the maritime sector.
Thursday night, the delegation met with representatives from Danish businesses engaged in India for a dinner. As underlined by the Speaker, Mr. Søren Gade in his opening dinner remarks: “166 Danish companies employ close to 100,000 people in India. A third of those companies expect to invest further in India in the coming years. Private sector involvement is crucial for a successful green transition and we cannot come anywhere without you!”.
On Friday, the Presidium began the day with a boat trip to visit A.P. Moller Terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, where they could get a first-hand experience of one of India’s most efficient terminals, and the APMTs vision for India and future operations. Maritime collaboration in one of the pillars of the Green Strategic Parnership and APMTs engagement illustrates how well private sector involvement drives forward the green transition and development of India.
