New Delhi [India], November 27 (ANI): India and Cyprus opened a fresh chapter in their parliamentary partnership on Thursday as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met a visiting Cypriot delegation led by Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives. The meeting marked the first such visit in three decades and reflected a shared commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, according to a press statement.

The meeting was part of a series of diplomatic discussions held by the Cypriot side in the last few days to strengthen democratic cooperation and expand the scope of parliamentary diplomacy between the two nations.

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla noted that both countries enjoy warm and longstanding relations, built on shared democratic values, mutual trust and close collaborations. He also recalled Cyprus conferring its highest civilian honour, the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, calling it a symbol of deep goodwill between the two nations.

The Cypriot delegation thanked India for its support on global platforms and promoted New Delhi's tough stance on terrorism.

'The Cypriot delegation expressed appreciation for India's guidance and support at the global stage and fully endorsed India's principled stand on zero tolerance towards terrorism. They also highlighted the important role India and Europe share in ensuring peace and stability in Cyprus. Both sides agreed on the need to expand cooperation in parliamentary training, capacity building, research exchange and people-to-people engagement,' the press statement noted.

After meeting the delegation, Birla wrote on X, 'Discussed our shared democratic values and the renewed momentum added to our multi-sectoral cooperation following the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Cyprus in June this year.'

During the discussions, Birla briefed the delegation on India's ongoing efforts to modernise the functioning of Parliament. He pointed to the increased use of Artificial Intelligence, the Digital Sansad platform and other technology-driven tools designed to improve transparency and multilingual accessibility.

'During the meeting, the Speaker briefed the delegation on the functioning of the Indian Parliament, the pivotal role of Parliamentary Committees, and India's efforts to integrate modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Sansad platform. He noted that these innovations have significantly improved transparency, efficiency and multilingual accessibility in parliamentary processes,' the statement added.

He also referred to India's recent Constitution Day celebrations, stressing that the Constitution remains a guiding force for social justice, economic empowerment and inclusive governance.

The Cypriot leaders praised the new Parliament building for its blend of heritage and modernity. 'The visiting dignitaries deeply admired the architectural brilliance, technological sophistication and rich civilizational ethos embodied in India's new Parliament House,' the press statement said. (ANI)