To deepen India’s global parliamentary outreach, Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups (PFGs) with more than 60 countries.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation, legislative dialogue, and people-to-people engagement, reinforcing India’s role as the world’s largest democracy on the global stage.
What Are Parliamentary Friendship Groups?
Parliamentary Friendship Groups are structured platforms that:
- Bring together Members of Parliament (MPs) across party lines.
- Facilitate direct interaction with lawmakers from partner countries.
- Encourage sustained dialogue beyond executive diplomacy.
- Promote exchange of legislative best practices.
These groups are bipartisan in nature and reflect a collective, national approach to foreign engagement.
Countries Covered in First Phase
Friendship Groups have been constituted with 64 countries and institutions, including:
Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Germany, Nepal, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, European Parliament, Iran, France, Israel, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Bhutan, Singapore, Greece, Italy, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Brazil, Australia, Oman, Mexico
Efforts are underway to expand the framework to additional countries in the near future.
Core Objectives
The initiative seeks to:
- Enable direct lawmaker-to-lawmaker engagement.
- Share legislative experience and democratic practices.
- Strengthen trust through regular dialogue.
- Facilitate discussions on:
- Trade and investment
- Technology cooperation
- Social policy
- Cultural exchanges
- Global challenges faced by democracies
The groups are expected to sustain long-term cooperation rooted in shared democratic values.
Political Significance
- MPs from both ruling and opposition parties are part of the groups.
- Over a dozen delegations are reportedly chaired by opposition leaders.
- This cross-party representation underscores unity on issues of national interest.
- It reflects a mature democratic approach where foreign engagement rises above partisan politics.
Background: Post-Operation Sindoor Outreach
The idea builds on India’s diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor, during which:
- Seven multi-party parliamentary delegations visited more than 20 countries.
- Delegations represented India’s unified stand on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
- The outreach was viewed as diplomatically effective.
- MPs reportedly urged institutionalisation of such engagements.
The Friendship Groups formalise that experience into a structured framework to ensure:
- Sustained dialogue
- Regular feedback from foreign capitals
- Early political signalling on global developments
- Prevention of diplomatic surprises
Approach and Structure
The Friendship Groups will:
- Conduct structured dialogues.
- Organise study visits.
- Hold joint parliamentary discussions.
- Facilitate people-to-people and Parliament-to-Parliament exchanges.
This represents a participatory and inclusive model of foreign engagement.
Strategic Importance
- Strengthens legislative diplomacy alongside executive diplomacy.
- Enhances India’s soft power through democratic engagement.
- Promotes mutual understanding on global governance issues.
- Institutionalises bipartisan representation abroad.
- Reinforces India’s image as a unified democracy on security matters.
The initiative demonstrates that on issues of national interest, India speaks in one voice.
Parliamentary Diplomacy
- Engagement between legislators of different countries
- Supplements executive-led diplomacy
- Builds long-term strategic relationships
Parliamentary diplomacy is increasingly seen as a complementary channel to traditional diplomacy. Through these groups:
- India strengthens democratic networks.
- Builds trust with strategic partners.
- Expands cooperation beyond formal state-level negotiations.
- Aligns with India’s growing global profile.