Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne agreed to deepen bilateral dialogue on Nov. 3, with talks spanning trade, investment and climate resilience alongside the Commonwealth summit.
Canada’s official readout said the discussion also covered energy, youth, tourism, people-to-people ties and the priorities of small island developing states.
Before the visit, Canada said Carney would pursue stronger trade and investment relations, cooperation on climate resilience and renewable energy, and discussions of collective security. It said this was his first CHOGM. EconoTimes previously covered Carney’s summit agenda.
The 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is scheduled for Nov. 1–4 in St. John’s, under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.” Its 56 member countries collectively represent 2.7 billion people. Member countries host CHOGM in turn every two years.
The Commonwealth Secretariat’s trade program seeks to ease commerce between member countries. Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey told the Associated Press that stronger trade within the Commonwealth could help its members withstand external shocks. She said “whatever happens outside the Commonwealth will not affect countries too much.”
The Secretariat says its investment agenda is meant to support small states and other vulnerable economies. It has pointed to the difficulty small states face in securing enough financing on affordable and dependable terms.
Canada’s itinerary listed a working breakfast with Caribbean leaders and planned meetings with leaders from Australia, Guyana and Ghana. The agenda also included two executive sessions. Commonwealth foreign ministers were tasked with preparing a 2026 communiqué for leaders’ endorsement.
