India-Vietnam BRICS Forum talks: Birla pushes trade, AI, parliamentary ties
Synopsis
On the sidelines of India-hosted 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla sat down with Vietnamese MP Mai Dung Thai Quynh to chart a new course for India-Vietnam parliamentary ties — spanning trade, IT, and AI governance. The meeting, attended by MPs from both BJP and Congress, signals New Delhi's push to embed legislative diplomacy into its Act East Policy.
Key Takeaways
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Vietnamese MP Mai Dung Thai Quynh on 27 October 2026 at the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi .
Discussions covered cooperation in trade, industry, information technology, and Artificial Intelligence .
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BJP MP Dilip Saikia were also present, reflecting cross-party Indian representation.
Mai Dung Thai Quynh arrived in New Delhi on 25 October 2026 and was received by MP Vishnu Dayal Ram and MP Bharti Pardhi .
The forum, hosted by India, brought together parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries to advance people-centric legislative cooperation.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 27 October 2026 met Vietnamese Member of Parliament Mai Dung Thai Quynh and members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group on the sidelines of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Complex in New Delhi. The bilateral parleys focused on deepening parliamentary engagement and identifying fresh areas of cooperation in trade, industry, information technology, and Artificial Intelligence.
Key Developments at the Bilateral Meeting
The two sides held wide-ranging discussions on enhancing institutional collaboration between the two parliaments. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring that technological advancements — especially in AI — serve public welfare rather than narrow commercial interests, according to Speaker Birla. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BJP MP Dilip Saikia were also present at the meeting, reflecting a cross-party Indian representation.
What Om Birla Said
'It was a pleasure to interact with Ms. Mai Dung Thai Quynh, Member of Parliament of Vietnam, and members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group, reaffirming the deep-rooted bonds of friendship between India and Vietnam, nurtured by our shared cultural heritage and Buddhist traditions,' Birla wrote on X.
'We exchanged views on enhancing parliamentary engagement, fostering institutional collaboration and exploring new avenues of cooperation in trade, industry, information technology and AI, with a focus on ensuring that technological advancements serve humanity and promote public welfare. I am confident that these exchanges will further enrich our parliamentary partnership and add new vigour to the enduring friendship between our two nations,' he added.
About the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum
The two-day forum, hosted by India, brought together parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries to discuss ways of strengthening legislative cooperation and advancing people-centric development. Mai Dung Thai Quynh arrived in New Delhi on 25 October 2026 to attend the gathering and was received at the airport by MP Vishnu Dayal Ram and MP Bharti Pardhi, according to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
India-Vietnam Ties: The Broader Context
India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership underpinned by shared cultural linkages rooted in Buddhist traditions and expanding economic complementarities. This parliamentary-level engagement on the sidelines of a major multilateral forum signals both countries' intent to move beyond diplomatic platitudes toward concrete legislative and institutional frameworks. This comes amid India's broader push to deepen ties with Southeast Asian nations as part of its Act East Policy. Notably, technology cooperation — particularly around AI governance — is emerging as a new pillar in bilateral relations between the two nations.
What Comes Next
No specific agreements or timelines were announced following the meeting, but both sides are expected to continue engagement through the Parliamentary Friendship Group mechanism. The outcomes of the wider BRICS Parliamentary Forum are also likely to shape the near-term legislative cooperation agenda between India and Vietnam.
Point of View
But the India-Vietnam exchange at the BRICS forum deserves attention for what it signals beyond the pleasantries. The explicit inclusion of AI governance in a parliamentary-level bilateral agenda is new terrain — most India-Vietnam dialogues have stayed anchored to defence and maritime cooperation. Equally notable is the cross-party Indian representation: having both a Congress and a BJP MP at the table projects legislative consensus on foreign policy, a message India is keen to send to multilateral forums. Whether these talks translate into any binding parliamentary mechanisms, or remain aspirational, will be the real measure of progress.
NationPress
27 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was discussed at the India-Vietnam meeting at the BRICS Parliamentary Forum?
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Vietnamese MP Mai Dung Thai Quynh discussed enhancing parliamentary engagement, institutional collaboration, and new avenues of cooperation in trade, industry, IT, and AI on 27 October 2026. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi.
What is the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum?
It is a two-day forum hosted by India at the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Complex in New Delhi, bringing together parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries. The forum aims to strengthen legislative cooperation and advance people-centric development.
Who represented India at the meeting with the Vietnamese delegation?
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led the Indian side, with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BJP MP Dilip Saikia also present. Mai Dung Thai Quynh was received at the airport by MPs Vishnu Dayal Ram and Bharti Pardhi on her arrival.
Why does India-Vietnam parliamentary cooperation matter?
India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership rooted in cultural and Buddhist ties, and the parliamentary track adds a legislative dimension to bilateral relations. The focus on AI and technology cooperation marks a new frontier beyond the traditional defence and trade pillars.
What is expected to happen after the meeting?
No specific agreements or timelines were announced, but both sides are expected to continue engagement through the Parliamentary Friendship Group mechanism. The broader BRICS Parliamentary Forum outcomes may also shape the near-term bilateral legislative cooperation agenda.
