New Delhi, February 23 – Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has established Parliamentary Friendship Groups with over sixty countries as a major initiative to deepen India's inter-parliamentary ties and complement traditional diplomacy through sustained legislative engagement.
This move brings together Members of Parliament from diverse political parties to lead these groups, showcasing the inclusive and multifaceted nature of Indian democracy on the global stage.
Senior figures, including Ravi Shankar Prasad, M Thambidurai, P Chidambaram, Ram Gopal Yadav, TR Baalu, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Gaurav Gogoi, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Manish Tiwari, Derek O’Brien, Abhishek Banerjee, Asaduddin Owaisi, Akhilesh Yadav, K.C. Venugopal, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Singh, Baijayant Panda, Shashi Tharoor, Nishikant Dubey, Anurag Singh Thakur, Bhartruhari Mahtab, D. Purandeswari, Sanjay Kumar Jha, Hema Malini, Biplab Kumar Deb, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Jagdambika Pal, Sasmit Patra, Aparajita Sarangi, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, P.V. Midhun Reddy, and Praful Patel, will head the respective groups.
The first phase covers countries such as Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Maldives, United States, Russia, the European Union Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
Plans are underway to expand the network to additional countries soon. These groups aim to facilitate direct dialogue between lawmakers, share legislative experiences, exchange best practices, and discuss issues such as trade, technology, social policies, culture, and shared global challenges faced by democratic societies.
The initiative seeks to build trust, foster mutual understanding, and strengthen bilateral relations through regular interactions, study visits, and joint deliberations.
This initiative builds upon the multi-party outreach undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi following Operation Sindoor, which sent cross-party delegations abroad to present India's unified perspective on national security and interests. This effort highlighted India's ability to rise above partisan divides and speak in one voice on critical matters.
The Speaker's decision institutionalizes this spirit by creating structured, long-term parliamentary channels for global engagement. Om Birla has long advocated for parliamentary diplomacy to elevate India's international profile, positioning the legislature as an active participant in global forums.
The groups underscore a participatory foreign policy that prioritizes people-to-people and institution-to-institution connections rooted in democratic values.
By transcending party lines and involving leaders from across the spectrum, the initiative demonstrates the depth and maturity of India's democratic framework.
It reinforces Parliament's role as a vital bridge between nations, promoting sustained cooperation and collaboration in an interconnected world.