The Fifth Conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians begins in New Delhi this evening. Nearly 130 delegates and observers from the eight SAARC countries will be attending the four day Conference. Afghanistan, which became the eighth member of SAARC in 2007, will be formally joining the Conference for the first time. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the Conference.The Lok Sabha Speaker Mrs. Meira Kumar will deliver the Welcome Address in her capacity as the President of the Conference. The Conference will deliberate mainly on two subjects -Strengthening Trust between Parliament and People and Sustainable Development in SAARC countries.All India Radio, Delhi will broadcast live the inaugural ceremony from 5.55 p.m. onwards. This can be heard on Rajdhani channel, Delhi and Additional frequencies.