Carney to attend first Commonwealth summit in Antigua

Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, from Nov. 2 to 4 to take part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office said Oct. 28.

It will be Carney’s first appearance at the gathering, known as CHOGM, which brings together leaders from the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries, home to 2.7 billion people. The PMO said Canada is the organization’s second-largest financial contributor.

In its news release, the PMO said Carney will meet Commonwealth leaders to deepen trade and investment ties and to speed up co-operation on climate resilience and renewable energy. It said he will also discuss geopolitical challenges and the future direction of the Commonwealth, including how members can work together on collective security.

The release did not name any bilateral meetings or announce any funding or trade deals. It was a pre-trip announcement, and no outcomes from the meeting have been reported.

Carney said in the release that he is going to focus on “expanding trade and deepening climate cooperation to build a safer, more prosperous future for our peoples.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will also attend, Global Affairs Canada said Oct. 29. The department said discussions in St. John’s are expected to focus on attracting investment, expanding trade and economic opportunity, strengthening climate resilience and advancing the shared values of the Commonwealth. Anand is also due at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in the United States, as we reported.

The meeting’s theme is “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”, with climate resilience, trade and investment, innovation, equality and sustainable development listed among its priorities. Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne chairs the meeting, and it is the first CHOGM under Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who took office April 1, 2025, according to the summit’s public summary.

For Canadians, the Commonwealth is a trade and diaspora link as much as a diplomatic one. Many Canadians trace family roots to Caribbean, African, South Asian and Pacific Commonwealth countries, and the PMO framed the trip around trade and investment. The Commonwealth also includes Canada’s closest partners in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The trip follows a busy week for Carney’s government on the international front. He is hosting European Union leaders in Montreal on Thursday and Friday, where they are expected to announce next steps in deepening the Canada-EU relationship, as we reported.

Travel plans can change, and the PMO has not yet released a detailed itinerary. Any announcements from the meeting are expected after leaders gather Nov. 2.

Via The Canadian Press, which reported the trip Oct. 28.

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