Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said the Parliamentary Friendship Groups constituted with more than 60 countries will deepen ties with key nations and strengthen parliamentary diplomacy as a central pillar of India's foreign policy.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has set up Parliamentary Friendship Groups with 64 countries in a significant step aimed at expanding India's inter-parliamentary engagement and supplementing conventional diplomacy through sustained legislative interaction.
In a post on X, Rijiju said: "Following the success of Operation Sindoor, Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji had proposed the formation of Parliamentary Friendship Groups to enhance engagement between India and other nations. Hon'ble Speaker Shri Om Birla ji has now constituted these groups with more than 60 countries, strengthening global democratic ties."
As India's global presence continues to grow, the Union Minister said the initiative will "deepen relations with major nations" and further "reinforce parliamentary diplomacy as a key pillar" of the country's foreign policy framework. "Stronger legislator-to-legislator engagement will foster trust, dialogue and cooperation, reflecting India's growing role as a responsible and leading democracy on the global stage," Rijiju added.
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 lawmakers including Ravi Shankar Prasad, M. Thambidurai, P. Chidambaram, Ram Gopal Yadav, T.R. 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, the Maldives, United States, Russia, the European Union Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran, and the 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 institutionalises this spirit by creating structured, long-term parliamentary channels for global engagement.
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.