LS Speaker OM Birla forms friendship group in over sixty countries for inter-parliamentary ties
New Delhi, Feb 23
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than sixty countries in a major initiative to deepen India's inter-parliamentary ties and complement traditional diplomacy through sustained legislative engagement.
The move brings together Members of Parliament from diverse political parties to lead these groups, projecting the inclusive and multi-faceted 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 nations such as Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Maldives, United States, Russia, European Union Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran and United Arab Emirates.
Plans are underway to expand the network to additional countries soon. These groups aim to enable direct lawmaker-to-lawmaker dialogue, sharing of legislative experiences, exchange of best practices, and discussions on 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.
The formation builds on 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. That 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 prioritises 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.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is fantastic! It's so good to see MPs from all parties working together on something for the country's global image. The list of countries is impressive – from neighbours like Bhutan to major powers. Hope this leads to real benefits in trade and technology for common people. 🙏
Good step, but the proof will be in the pudding. We've seen many such groups formed in the past that become inactive. I hope there is a clear agenda, regular meetings, and tangible outcomes reported back to the public. Let's not make it just another photo-op opportunity for politicians.
The spirit of bipartisan cooperation for national interest is always welcome. It is heartening to see such an inclusive list of MPs heading these groups. Parliamentary exchanges can build strong foundations for people-to-people ties. Let's ensure these groups function democratically and voices from all regions are heard.
Seeing names like Chidambaram, Owaisi, and Thakur on the same list is itself a powerful message to the world. Bharat's democracy is vibrant and united on foreign engagement. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 Hope our MPs learn best practices from other democracies, especially on education and healthcare policies.
This is a smart move. While governments change, parliament as an institution remains. Building these long-term connections will stabilize our foreign relations. Also great to see a focus on sharing legislative experiences – we can learn so much from countries like Singapore and Germany.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.