President Pranab Mukherjee has received the first copy of a book 'Indian Parliamentary Diplomacy- Speaker's Perspective' written by Meira Kumar, the former Speaker of Lok Sabha.
The President received the book from Sumitra Mahajan, the present speaker of Lok Sabha, who formally released it.
Congratulating Meira Kumar for bringing out the book, President Mukherjee said that each one of us can learn a number of lessons from her observations in the book.
"The Parliament portrays the will of the people. The basic tenet of Parliamentary system is the representation of people in Parliament. The Speaker is the custodian of the rights, privileges and performance of the representatives of people in the Parliament who represent the spirit and aspirations of the vast multitude of people of the country," he added.
The President said Parliamentary diplomacy has become important and these days a crucial work being undertaken by the Speaker is carrying diplomatic work through attending various international conferences and bilateral visits.
The book is an account of the role of parliamentary diplomacy in furthering foreign policy and strengthening international relations.
The volume is a collection of reports and select speeches that Kumar as Lok Sabha Speaker and leader of Indian Parliamentary Delegations delivered at international conferences and during her visits abroad.