As a significant step to enhance the country's inter-parliamentary engagement with the world, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has established Parliamentary Friendship Groups with over 60 countries. This move reflects the Parliament's conscious effort to deepen dialogue and exchanges with legislatures across continents and to complement traditional diplomacy with sustained parliamentary interaction.
The Friendship Groups bring together Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum. Senior leaders and MPs such as Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dr. M. Thambidurai, P. Chidambaram, Ram Gopal Yadav, T.R. Baalu, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Kanimozhi, Asaduddin Owaisi, Sasmit Patra, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, PV Midhun Reddy, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and Praful Patel, among others, will lead these groups. Some of the countries with which Parliamentary Friendship Groups have been established include Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Maldives, the USA, Russia, the EU Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran, and the UAE. The aim of this initiative is to allow lawmakers to communicate directly with their counterparts abroad, share legislative experiences, and build trust through regular engagement and exchange of best practices to further strengthen bilateral relations and promote greater mutual understanding.