Parliamentary Friendship Groups (PFGs)

Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups (PFGs) with over 60 countries to strengthen India’s parliamentary diplomacy.

Key Highlights

• Purpose:
  • Strengthen dialogue between India’s Parliament and foreign legislatures.
  • Complement traditional diplomacy with Parliament-to-Parliament engagement.
• Composition:
  • Members of Parliament from different political parties participate.
  • Encourages bipartisan international cooperation.
• Objectives:
  • Share legislative experiences and best practices.
  • Promote mutual understanding and trust.
  • Strengthen bilateral relations.
• Areas of Cooperation:
  • Trade & economic relations
  • Technology collaboration
  • Social policy exchange
  • Culture & people-to-people ties
  • Addressing global democratic challenges
• Activities Planned:
  • Study visits
  • Dialogues and joint discussions
  • Structured exchanges between lawmakers

Significance

• Enhances India’s parliamentary diplomacy alongside executive diplomacy.
• Builds long-term partnerships rooted in democratic values.
• Encourages participatory foreign policy through lawmakers’ engagement.
• Helps India expand global influence and cooperation.