India, Jan. 14 -- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is hosting the 28th Commonwealth Speakers' and Presiding Officers' Conference (CSPOC) in New Delhi from January 14 to 17.

The Conference is taking place at a time when international order is buffeted by turbulence and geo-strategic challenges, with US unilateral action in Venezuela, while peace eludes Ukraine and in Iran. Although these countries are not members of the Commonwealth, these developments perforce has a bearing on world peace and stability and also on India's foreign policy goals. The CSPOC in this context needs to be seen as an exercise and outreach of Parliamentary diplomacy, an adjunct of foreign policy. Although the Conference is going to deliberate issues such as Artificial I...