Carney in Antigua to meet King Charles, Commonwealth leaders

Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Antigua and Barbuda on Monday for a Commonwealth gathering where he will meet heads of government from other member countries and King Charles III, Global News reported.

Much of the meetings this week will focus on trade and investment, according to the report. The gathering also offers Carney a chance to meet representatives from countries he might not otherwise visit, said retired Canadian diplomat Patricia Fortier, who described it as an “extraordinary gathering.”

“Fifty-six countries, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, North America, Indo-Pacific, this is like a diplomatic feast,” Fortier said.

The Commonwealth includes large countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Nigeria, and some of the world’s smallest, including Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation with a population of about 10,000.

Carney has spent much of his time in office travelling to strengthen multilateral relationships as he tries to move Canada away from dependence on the United States. Fortier said ties with smaller states can matter at multilateral bodies such as the United Nations, where each member country has one vote regardless of size. “The Caribbean and Africa and some of the Pacific Island states can make or break your initiatives,” she said.

Michael Manulak, an associate professor of international affairs at Carleton University, said Canada has used this strategy successfully before, under prime minister Lester Pearson and in the 1980s. The Commonwealth was often one of the core constituencies Canada worked with, he said.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in its Oct. 28 announcement that Carney will be in the country from Nov. 2 to 4. As we reported, the PMO said the trip is aimed at deepening trade and investment ties and speeding up co-operation on climate resilience and renewable energy, and that no trade deals or funding had been announced in advance. No outcomes have been reported yet.

Carney returns to Ottawa with a federal budget due Thursday. See our preview of the budget.

Sources: Global News (Carney to meet with King Charles and Commonwealth heads of government) and the Prime Minister’s Office.

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