LS Speaker Om Birla meets delegations from Cyprus, Burkina Faso

New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday met a Parliamentary Delegation from Cyprus, led by Annita Demetriou, and reaffirmed the shared commitment of the two nations to strengthen democratic cooperation, an official said. 

The Speaker also met a delegation from Burkina Faso.

The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and Cyprus to strengthening democratic cooperation and expanding the scope of parliamentary diplomacy.

Underscoring the deep-rooted friendship between India and Cyprus, built on shared democratic values, mutual trust and close collaboration in international fora, Birla noted that both countries enjoy warm and longstanding relations.

He recalled that Cyprus conferred its highest civilian honour, Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year—an affirmation of the closeness and goodwill that characterise India-Cyprus ties.

In a message on X, Birla wrote, “It was a pleasure to welcome the distinguished Parliamentary Delegation from Cyprus, led by Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, to the Parliament of India.”

“The delegation deeply appreciated the architectural brilliance, advanced technological features, and the rich civilisational heritage embodied in India’s new Parliament House,” he wrote.

“Discussed our shared democratic values and the renewed momentum added to our multi-sectoral cooperation following the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji to Cyprus in June this year. also emphasised India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and our shared commitment to addressing global challenges, including climate change,” he wrote.

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.

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.

Referring to the celebration of Constitution Day on November 26, Birla said that India’s Constitution has served as a powerful instrument for strengthening social justice, economic empowerment, and inclusive national development.

In a separate message on X, Birla also shared information about a meeting with a delegation from Burkina Faso.

“Delighted to welcome H.E. Mr. Ousmane Bougouma, President of the Transitional Legislative Assembly of Burkina Faso, and the accompanying delegation to the Parliament of India. Exchanged views on the warm and friendly ties between our countries and the growing Development‑Oriented Partnership that continues to add new dimensions to our bilateral cooperation,” said Birla.

He highlighted how the Indian Parliament is leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Digital Sansad to enhance transparency, efficiency, and technological advancement in legislative functioning.

“Appreciated his participation in the capacity‑building programme organised by PRIDE and conveyed India’s readiness to organise customised training modules in the future. Assured him of India’s continued support in advancing Burkina Faso's development goals,” wrote Birla on X.

--IANS

rch/dan