Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has approved the formation of parliamentary friendship groups with more than 60 countries. Big leaders from the ruling party and the opposition have been included in these groups. Through these groups, Parliament to Parliament and people to people connect with the countries of the world will be promoted. Even after Operation Sindoor, the government had sent similar delegations to many countries of the world.
These prominent MPs have been included
Parliamentarians from different political parties have been included in these friendship groups, thereby attempting to present the multi-party and inclusive nature of Indian democracy on the global stage. Prominent MPs include Ravi Shankar Prasad, P. Chidambaram, Ram Gopal Yadav, T.R. Many senior leaders including Balu, Gaurav Gogoi, Kanimozhi, Manish Tiwari, Derek O’Brien, Asaduddin Owaisi, Akhilesh Yadav, Supriya Sule, Shashi Tharoor and Anurag Thakur are included.
With which countries have these friendship groups been formed?
The countries with which these friendship groups have been formed include Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Maldives, USA, Russia, European Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, UK, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran and UAE.
What is the purpose?
The purpose of these groups is to increase direct communication between MPs, exchange legislative experiences and deepen bilateral relations. Through this, coordinated dialogue will also be promoted on diverse issues like trade, technology, social policy, culture and global challenges. Through these groups, parliamentary diplomacy will emerge as an effective platform parallel to traditional diplomacy that will strengthen ‘Parliament-to-Parliament’ and ‘people-to-people’ contacts.
In the first phase, friendship groups have been formed with more than 60 countries, while preparations are on to include more countries in the coming time. This initiative is considered important towards establishing parliamentary participation as a permanent and strong pillar in India’s diplomatic strategy.
