New Delhi: United States President Joe Biden has sent out invitations to 110 countries for a virtual summit on Democracy scheduled to happen on December 9 and 10, reported AFP. As per the information available on the US State Department Website, among the nations invited for the summit majorly are the western allies but also includes India, Iraq, and Pakistan.
While Taiwan has been invited to the summit, China has not been invited. It is being said that this move is a risk that could anger Beijing. Like the US, Turkey which is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member has also not been invited for the virtual summit.
Israel and Iraq are the only two countries from West Asia that have found their names in the participant list. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arabian Emirates which are known to be traditional Arab allies of the US are also not included in the list.
Known for having a President who openly supported former US President Donald Trump and criticized for having an authoritarian bent, Brazil is also on the list of participants.
From the European Union nations, Poland has been invited even when the country has been in constant tension with the EU over its human rights record.
Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, and Niger were the countries from the African continent that had been invited by Biden for the summit.
The two-day virtual summit on Democracy will have three key themes according to the State Department website. These three themes would be, defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights.