The Indian economy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'amazing', said Duarte Pacheco, President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, on Monday.
The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is in India on a seven-day visit. "It is impossible for us to interfere with the internal matters of a country, but can say that the Indian economy under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi is amazing," Mr Pacheco told ANI.
Praising Indian society and its vitality the IPU president added, "I wish we had a society in Europe that has the same vitality that we find here in India. Other continents are thinking in past, in history but here in India towards a better future."
He also stressed the significance of the need to defend the right to freedom of speech. "We need to defend freedom of speech, freedom of political organisation, freedom of religion, and the freedom of any culture to be expressed in society. We needed to do it yesterday, we need to do it today, and also tomorrow," Mr Pacheco told ANI.
"People think Democracy is forever, but we see how it is being replaced with some other kind of governments in many countries. That's why we need to defend democratic values at all costs," he further remarked.
He also hoped that they are open to stronger collaboration with the Indian Parliament and it can provide an example, especially to the countries in Asia.
Earlier in the day, he was present in the Rajya Sabha to observe the proceedings of the House.
During his visit, he will attend a felicitation ceremony and address members under the auspices of the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) in the Central Hall of Parliament on March 16, according to a statement by the Lok Sabha secretariat.
Mr Pacheco, a Member of Parliament of Portugal, was recently elected as the President of IPU, an international organization of national parliaments, for a three-year term from 2021 to 2023. He is visiting India at the invitation of the Parliament of India.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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