Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Launches Parliamentary Friendship Groups with Over 60 Nations
In a strategic move to amplify India's parliamentary diplomacy on the global stage, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has officially constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than 60 countries. The announcement was made by the Lok Sabha secretariat on Monday, highlighting a concerted effort to broaden India's inter-parliamentary engagement worldwide.
Strengthening Global Parliamentary Ties
The initiative represents a significant step in deepening dialogue and exchanges with legislatures across various continents. According to the secretariat, this reflects a conscious effort by the Indian Parliament to complement traditional diplomacy with sustained parliamentary interaction. By fostering these connections, India aims to build stronger international relationships through legislative collaboration.
Diverse Leadership Across Party Lines
The Parliamentary Friendship Groups will be led by a wide array of politicians from different political parties, ensuring bipartisan representation. The group leaders include prominent figures such as:
- Ravi Shankar Prasad
- Shashi Tharoor
- Akhilesh Yadav
- 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
- K. C. Venugopal
- Rajiv Pratap Rudy
- Supriya Sule
- Sanjay Singh
- Baijayant Panda
- 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
- Praful Patel
This diverse leadership underscores the inclusive approach of the initiative, bringing together experienced lawmakers to spearhead engagements with partner nations.
Extensive Global Coverage
The Parliamentary Friendship Groups encompass a broad spectrum of countries, reflecting India's diplomatic outreach across regions. Some of the key nations included are:
- Sri Lanka
- Germany
- New Zealand
- Switzerland
- South Africa
- Bhutan
- Saudi Arabia
- Israel
- Maldives
- United States
- Russia
- European Parliament
- South Korea
- Nepal
- United Kingdom
- France
- Japan
- Italy
- Oman
- Australia
- Greece
- Singapore
- Brazil
- Vietnam
- Mexico
- Iran
- United Arab Emirates
This extensive list highlights India's commitment to engaging with both neighboring countries and major global powers, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation through parliamentary channels.
The establishment of these groups is poised to enhance India's diplomatic footprint, leveraging parliamentary exchanges to address shared challenges and opportunities in an increasingly interconnected world.
