"Ninth P20 summit represents our commitment towards preserving democratic values": LS Speaker Om Birla

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the P20 Summit in Delhi, Om Birla said," For us, democracy is a priceless heritage. It is reflected in our thoughts, behaviour and traditions. When we got independence, democracy was the basic foundation of our nation. The ninth P20 summit represents our commitment towards efforts to preserve democratic values, international cooperation and finding solutions to issues of global importance and current challenges."

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla further mentioned that environmental protection is not a matter of a single country and congratulated all the delegates for supporting the government's Mission LiFE initiative.

"The theme of the P20 Summit is One Earth, One Family, One Future. We consider the world as a family. The vision of Mission LiFE put forward by PM Modi was discussed in the pre-summit yesterday. Delegations from several countries believe that protecting the environment is not a matter of a single country, it is the responsibility of all the countries. I am happy to announce that we got support from G20 countries for this mission," he said.

On the occasion, Inter-Parliamentary Union President Duarte Pacheco said that peace has to be maintained in all continents including the Middle East and efforts should be made in this direction.

"It's impossible to talk about sustainable and developmental goals and talk about a future without peace. We need to defend peace in all continents including the Middle East. Peace should be on the front page. Even a single death is too much," he said.

Canada was missing from the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) and Parliamentary Forum programme list. Canadian Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagne was scheduled to be a part of the summit but she failed to register her presence.

Speakers and heads of delegation of Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Spain, European Parliament, Italy, South Africa, Russia, Turkiye, Nigeria, Australia, Brazil, UAE, Singapore, Japan, Egypt and Bangladesh were present in the event.

The inaugural day of the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) and Parliamentary Forum to hold two separate sessions today. The first session comprises a discussion on 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' with Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) showcasing achievements and accelerating progress. However, the second session is on 'One Earth Sustainable Energy Transition-Gateway to Green Future'. (ANI)