Prime Minister Gaston Browne is expressing high hopes for next year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference (CHOGM) which Antigua and Barbuda will host for the first time.
Speaking during the presentation of letters by the new British High Commissioner, Simon Mustard on Tuesday, PM Browne said it is his hope that the conference, tentatively set for the first week of November next year, will be an important conference and one that ‘makes a difference’.
He noted that the November date is not yet confirmed as discussions are still underway with the Palace. Additionally, he added that while the date falls within the hurricane season, it was suggested that there was a less than three percent chance of a hurricane affecting the country at that time in the year.
“We don’t want it to be a routine CHOGM, but one that will be chaired by the King and brings the Commonwealth together. With all the geo-political issues that are taking place currently I think it is even more important for the Commonwealth to strengthen the relationship between its members, even to increase trade and investments amongst ourselves, especially as the Commonwealth represents an area of stability,” he noted.
The prime minister added that the Commonwealth diverse membership places it in a position to help mitigate some of the existential threats that are ‘politically driven’.
On the question of Antigua and Barbuda’s relationship with the UK, PM Browne said it was ‘easily one of the best relationship that the country enjoys with another country’ as he highlighted the many ways that the UK has assisted Antigua and Barbuda since independence. These include disaster relief, capacity building, infrastructure development and other forms of assistance over the years.
High Commissioner Mustard, thanked the prime minister for his words of welcome and he expressed the UK’s willingness to continue to provide assistance in climate change resilience among other areas.
The High Commission is based in Barbados.
