In a major push to expand India’s parliamentary diplomacy, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with over 60 countries, aiming to deepen engagement between India’s legislature and parliaments across the world.
The initiative seeks to complement traditional diplomacy with sustained Parliament-to-Parliament dialogue, enabling lawmakers to directly interact with their counterparts abroad. The Friendship Groups will facilitate exchanges on legislative practices, trade, technology, social policy, culture and shared global challenges, while strengthening bilateral ties and promoting mutual understanding.
The groups comprise Members of Parliament from across party lines, reflecting a broad-based and multi-party approach to international outreach. Senior leaders from diverse political backgrounds have been appointed to lead these groups, projecting what Lok Sabha Secretariat describes as the “multi-faceted dimensions” of Indian democracy on the global stage.
Countries included in the first phase span multiple regions, including Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Maldives, the United States, Russia, the European Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Under Speaker Birla’s stewardship, Parliament has increasingly positioned itself as an active participant in India’s foreign engagement strategy. The Speaker has consistently underlined the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening India’s global standing and fostering democratic cooperation.
The move also builds on recent multi-party outreach efforts initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi following Operation Sindoor, during which delegations comprising leaders from various political parties were sent abroad to present India’s position on key national issues. That effort was widely seen as an assertion of unity across political lines in matters of national interest.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat said the Friendship Groups will enable structured engagement through dialogues, study visits and joint discussions, reinforcing long-term cooperation grounded in democratic values. While the first phase covers more than 60 nations, additional groups are expected to be constituted with more countries in the near future.
