Guwahati: In a major push to strengthen India’s parliamentary diplomacy, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups for more than 60 countries, bringing together senior Members of Parliament from across party lines — including Gaurav Gogoi as part of the leadership team.
The initiative underscores a renewed effort to deepen India’s inter-parliamentary engagement and complement traditional diplomacy with sustained legislative dialogue.
The Friendship Groups comprise prominent leaders from diverse political backgrounds such as Ravi Shankar Prasad, P. Chidambaram, Akhilesh Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, Supriya Sule, Shashi Tharoor, Anurag Singh Thakur, Hema Malini and several others.
In the first phase, Parliamentary Friendship Groups have been formed with countries including 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 and United Arab Emirates, among others.
The core objective of these groups is to facilitate direct engagement between Indian lawmakers and their counterparts abroad. Through regular dialogue, study visits and structured exchanges, MPs will share legislative experiences, discuss global challenges, and exchange best practices. The initiative goes beyond parliamentary procedure, opening channels for cooperation in trade, technology, social policy, culture and democratic governance.
The move also builds on the spirit of national unity demonstrated after Operation Sindoor, when Narendra Modi led efforts to send multi-party delegations abroad to present India’s perspective on key issues. That outreach highlighted India’s collective resolve on matters of national interest, transcending partisan divides.
By institutionalizing Friendship Groups with over 60 countries in the first phase — and planning to expand further — the Lok Sabha is reinforcing Parliament’s role as a bridge between nations and as a living embodiment of the world’s largest democracy, committed to sustained, inclusive and people-centric global engagement.