Abhishek Banerjee to chair India-Algeria Parliamentary Friendship Group in major diplomatic push

In a significant step towards strengthening India’s global outreach, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than 60 leading nations to deepen engagement at the legislative level. The initiative aims to enhance direct dialogue between Members of Parliament and their counterparts abroad, complementing traditional diplomatic channels and reinforcing India’s parliamentary diplomacy framework.

As part of this initiative, Abhishek Banerjee, National General Secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress and Member of Parliament, has been appointed Chairperson of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Algeria. His role will involve leading the Indian delegation in structured engagements with Algerian parliamentarians to strengthen bilateral ties and explore cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Other opposition leaders have also been assigned prominent responsibilities. Derek O'Brien will head the Chile group, while Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar will lead the Bulgaria group. The move is being viewed as an effort to present a collective national voice on global platforms, with both ruling party and opposition members playing key roles in advancing India’s diplomatic interests.

The list of Parliamentary Friendship Groups includes major global powers such as the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Israel, along with neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Among other leaders heading these groups are Ravi Shankar Prasad for the United Kingdom, Nishikant Dubey for Russia, Anurag Thakur for the European Union, and from the Congress party, Shashi Tharoor for France, P. Chidambaram for Italy and Gaurav Gogoi.

These groups are expected to hold regular interactions with foreign legislators, exchange legislative experiences and identify new avenues for cooperation in trade, technology and cultural engagement. Diplomatic observers believe the initiative reflects a broader multi-party approach on issues of national security and foreign policy, underlining India’s message of unity on global challenges and strengthening its soft power through parliamentary engagement.