New Delhi : Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Friday said Canada has confirmed its participation in the upcoming G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) which will be held at ‘Yashobhunmi’ in Delhi from October 12 to 14. Birla said the key narrative of the P20 meeting is titled ‘India as the mother of democracy’. According to the statement released by the Lok Sabha secretariat, Germany and Argentina will not be present for the event for “internal reasons”. Canada’s participation in the P20 summit comes at a time when bilateral ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have strained following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement alleging India’s link to the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

The P20 is a forum of Speakers and Presidents of Parliaments from G20 countries that provide a platform for parliamentary leaders to discuss and share best practices on issues of global importance. Addressing media persons Loksabha Speaker Om Birla said, “All countries have been invited, and Canada’s Senate Speaker has sent confirmation about attending the event that will have 50 members of Parliament, 14 general secretaries including 26 Presidents and 10 Vice-Presidents participating. The President of the Pan African Parliament will attend the P-20 event after G20 in India for the first time”. 

The two-day event that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13 and will have four sessions where participants will discuss issues including transformation in people’s lives through public digital platforms, women-led development, accelerating sustainable development goals, and sustainable energy transition. Birla said, the key narrative of the P20 meeting is titled ‘India as the mother of democracy’ and will have participants weighing, both formally and informally on a clutch of issues concerning stakeholders. The Lok Sabha secretariat said a pre-summit event, Parliamentary Forum on LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) will be held on October 12.