A delegation of parliamentarians led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh visited Hungary from March 7 to 8 and underlined the strong economic partnership between India and the European country.

Harivansh highlighted the importance of parliamentary cooperation as a key pillar of the vibrant relations between India and Hungary after he met Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Yakab and interacted with the Hungarian-Indian Friendship Group of the Hungarian National Assembly, chaired by Péter Cseresnyés.

The two sides discussed various opportunities to further deepen the bilateral relations and emphasised the importance of cultural as well as people-to-people interactions, according to an official statement issued by the Rajya Sabha secretariat.

They also took a comprehensive parliamentary tour to get detailed insights into Hungary's parliamentary traditions, the statement said. The tour organised on the invitation of Yakab included two Rajya Sabha members, Ashok Bajpai and Lieutenant General (Retired) D P Vats, along with Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody.

"Our cultural cooperation has a long history. I am happy to note that there is a huge interest in yoga, Indian music, dance and ayurveda in Hungary. Our friendship extends to the people-to-people connections that have been nurtured over the years," Harivansh said.

The Hungarian-Indian Friendship Group also talked about collaborations, including in the areas of artificial intelligence, water management and space research. The warm, friendly, multi-faceted and substantive diplomatic relations between India and Hungary marked the milestone of 75th anniversary in 2023, the statement said.

There has been regular parliamentary exchanges between the two countries and the president of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Zsolt Nemeth, visited India in January. Yakab visited India in February 2023. The strong Indian diaspora in Hungary of around 9,000 acts as a strong bridge between the two countries. On the occasion, the team at the Hungarian Parliament organised a Odissi dance performance. The troupe led by Virág Réka Túri truly showed how cultural relations form the basis of the strong ties between the two countries, the statement said.