Secretary-General to visit Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas

Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma will arrive in Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday (5 May) for discussions with Prime Minister Patrick Manning centred on preparations for the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) due to be held in Port of Spain in November.

Mr Sharma, accompanied by a planning team from the Commonwealth Secretariat, will also meet Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon and other dignitaries, as well as visit some of the possible conference venues, hotels and other facilities expected to support the meeting. CHOGM will be held on 27-29 November, with the special theme of 'Partnering for a more equitable and sustainable future'. A CHOGM involves meetings of leaders and foreign ministers, as well as several parallel events, such as business, people’s and youth forums.

“The visit will enable me to discuss with the Prime Minister and his CHOGM team the complex logistical preparations for this important meeting, as well as substantive issues that our leaders will want to discuss,” the Secretary-General said.

On 8 May 2009, Mr Sharma will deliver the 11th Eric Williams Memorial Lecture in Port of Spain and tour the Eric Williams Memorial Collection at the University of the West Indies at St Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago campus).

He will then head to The Bahamas on 9 May on the second leg of his official visit to the Caribbean, where he will deliver a keynote address to the conference on local government in the Commonwealth, organised by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. Mr Sharma is also expected to hold discussions with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Brent Symonette in The Bahamas.

Related Websites:

• CHOGM 2009