In a major step towards enhancing India’s parliamentary outreach, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups (PFGs) with more than 60 countries, establishing a structured platform for sustained engagement with legislatures worldwide.
A press note released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Monday said senior leaders from across party lines have been appointed to head these groups, underscoring what officials termed “the diversity and strength of India’s democracy before the global community.”
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Among those selected to lead various Friendship Groups are P Chidambaram, Shashi Tharoor, Ravi Shankar Prasad, T R Baalu, K C Venugopal, Akhilesh Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, Abhishek Banerjee, Supriya Sule and Anurag Thakur.
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They will be joined by other senior parliamentarians including Ram Gopal Yadav, Gaurav Gogoi, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Manish Tewari, Derek O’Brien, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Sanjay Singh, Baijayant Panda, Nishikant Dubey, Bhartruhari Mahtab, D Purandeswari, Sanjay Kumar Jha, Hema Malini and Praful Patel, who will steer engagement with key partner nations.
A senior Lok Sabha official said the initiative “brings together leaders cutting across party lines to represent India’s collective democratic voice on the global stage,” highlighting its bipartisan character.
The move builds on the Prime Minister’s multi-party outreach following Operation Sindoor and aims to formalise parliamentary diplomacy through a structured and enduring mechanism.
“These Friendship Groups provide an institutional framework for dialogue, cooperation and exchange of best practices between India and partner democracies,” the press note said. “They will complement the government’s diplomatic engagements and add greater depth to people-to-people and lawmaker-to-lawmaker ties.”
In the first phase, the Friendship Groups cover more than 60 countries, including Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United States, Russia, the European Parliament, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Australia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Further expansion is expected in the coming months.
Observers say the initiative reflects a renewed thrust on parliamentary diplomacy amid shifting global dynamics. “By showcasing cross-party leadership in these groups, India is projecting democratic consensus and institutional continuity in its foreign engagement,” a parliamentary affairs expert observed.
With over 60 Friendship Groups now operational and more on the anvil, the initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening global democratic partnerships and amplifying India’s voice in international parliamentary forums.
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