In a significant step to widen the country’s inter-parliamentary engagement with the world, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than 60 countries. The move reflects a conscious effort by the Parliament 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 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 whom Parliamentary Friendship Groups have been constituted 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 idea behind the initiative is to allow lawmakers to speak directly to their counterparts abroad, share legislative experience, and build trust through regular engagement and exchange best practices to further strengthen bilateral relations and promote greater mutual understanding.
