OTTAWA (Reuters)–- With the global economic recovery still at risk, G20 countries should tackle sovereign debt and financial reforms when they gather for the Toronto summit next month, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said yesterday.

"With the fragile global economic recovery hanging in the balance, it is crucial that we build consensus at the summit on reform of the financial sector, control of sovereign debt, and the framework for strong, sustainable and balanced economic growth over the long term," Harper said.

The prime minister made the remarks in his introduction to Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who spoke to the Canadian Parliament yesterday.

Harper will host a meeting of leaders from the G20 leading developed and developing nations immediately after a G8 summit in late June. The G20 agenda will be dominated by financial regulatory reform, the euro zone's debt troubles and a co-ordinated approach for global growth, aimed at preventing the imbalances that contributed to the crisis.

Harper has been at loggerheads with some of his European colleagues over their push for a global bank tax, but yesterday he said that Canada and Mexico shared common goals within the G20.

Harper will travel to Britain and France next week to discuss G8 and G20 issues with his counterparts there.