A virtual meeting between the Parliamentary Development Unit (PDU) Team and Advisor to Secretary-General, Hellenic Parliament, and Head of the Unit of Strategic Planning, Hellenic Parliament, Greece on “Discussing Future Roadmap to Collaborate for Parliamentary Development” was held on the 1st September 2022, in the Senate Committee Room No. 3 Parliament House, Islamabad.

Working on the guidelines given by the Hon’ble Chairman Senate regarding the digitalization of the Senate of Pakistan and its Secretariat to enhance parliamentary performance and development, the purpose of the meeting was to deliberate and devise ways and means to design a future roadmap of collaboration and partnership with the Hellenic Parliament, Greece.

Mr. Mir Shai Mazar Baloch (Director General, Coordination) welcomed the participants. Dr. Angelos Kontogiannis-Mandros, Advisor to Secretary-General, Hellenic Parliament, expressed grief over the catastrophic floods in Pakistan.

Director General (Coordination) gave an overview of the functions of the PDU and emphasized strengthening parliamentary relations between the two sides in terms of taking initiatives on digitalization, a twinning program with European parliaments, enhancing the working capacity of various branches of the Secretariat through mutual learning and sharing of experiences with the Hellenic parliament and its secretariat.

Dr. Angelos Kontogiannis-Mandros said there were several areas including digitalization, a twinning program with European parliaments, cyber security, and public outreach programs that could be worked out.

Both sides mutually agreed to work and sharing of experiences in the aforementioned areas and proposed to meet again virtually to carry forward the partnership.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks from each side.

Source: Senate of Pakistan