India, Feb. 23 -- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted "Parliamentary Friendship Groups" with more than 60 countries, in a bid to enhance Parliament's global outreach.

The groups, comprising senior lawmakers from across political parties, aim "to deepen dialogue and exchanges with legislatures across continents and to complement traditional diplomacy with sustained parliamentary interaction," a Lok Sabha communique said on Monday.

The idea behind the initiative, the communique said, "is to allow lawmakers to speak directly to their counterparts abroad, share legislative experience, and build trust through regular engagement and exchange best practices to further strengthen bilateral relations and promote greater mutual understandi...