During the closing session of a public CHOGM town hall held in St. Paul’s on Tuesday, October 27, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs E.P. Chet Greene, who also leads the national steering task force for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, delivered a passionate plea to all citizens to set aside partisan political divides and rally as a unified nation as the Caribbean island nation prepares to welcome dozens of Commonwealth leaders between November 1 and 4, 2026.
Greene pushed back explicitly against any attempts to frame the high-stakes global diplomatic gathering as a partisan political event, emphasizing that the landmark summit belongs to every resident of Antigua and Barbuda, not any single political faction. “This is an all-of-country arrangement. This is not a political arrangement,” he stated firmly, addressing critics seeking to inject partisan tensions into pre-summit discussions. To drive his point home, he referenced the hues of the national flag, noting: “For those who seek to insert and instill politics, I want to remind us that the only red and blue in CHOGM is if you can add the black, yellow. In other words, this is all of country. The national flag hangs with this one, and together we’ll carry this one.”
The foreign minister used a vivid, relatable analogy of an open hand and a clenched fist to illustrate the power of collective cooperation: while individual fingers on an open hand point in separate directions, they become far stronger and more capable when curled together into a unified fist. “I implore us tonight in closing that we adopt that posture of a fist, a fist in triumph, a fist working together to make CHOGM 2026 a resounding success,” he urged the gathered attendees.
Greene went on to outline the wide network of stakeholders whose contributions will shape the summit’s outcome, thanking the hundreds of people already engaged in months of preparatory work, including the national CHOGM task force members and more than 500 registered volunteers set to support operations across every segment of the event. He also highlighted the critical, frontline role that local hospitality workers will play, including taxi fleet operators, hotel managers, restaurant proprietors, and short-term rental hosts, noting that their signature warm Caribbean hospitality will be the face of Antigua and Barbuda for visiting heads of government, diplomatic delegates, and international observers.
The minister expressed full confidence that the island nation could pull off a flawless, memorable summit, pointing to the steady progress of pre-event planning and the overwhelming public willingness to volunteer time and expertise. He noted that Antigua and Barbuda’s decades-long global reputation for warm, gracious hospitality will leave a lasting positive impression on all attendees, including King Charles III, who is scheduled to join the series of official diplomatic meetings, cultural showcases, and community events tied to the summit. He closed by reinforcing that the summit will only deliver maximum benefits for Antigua and Barbuda’s global standing and national interests if every resident aligns around a shared sense of national purpose, rather than narrow partisan priorities.
Foreign Minister Chet Greene urges political unity ahead of CHOGM
