Antigua and Barbuda’s national government has officially taken delivery of 20 Zeekr 7X all-electric vehicles from China’s Geely Motors, earmarked for use as official transport during the upcoming 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026. The fleet, delivered via a formal sponsorship agreement, docked at St. John’s Harbour on November 1, 2026, before an official handover ceremony held the following day, November 2, at Camp Blizzard.
Speaking at the handover event, Minister Greene extended formal appreciation on behalf of Prime Minister the Right Honourable Gaston Browne and the entire population of Antigua and Barbuda to Geely Motors for delivering tailored transport solutions to support the smooth operation of CHOGM 2026. He further noted his expectation that the mutual benefits of this cross-border partnership will continue to deliver value for local road users and national sustainable development goals long after the Commonwealth gathering concludes. The minister also offered sincere thanks to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China for its critical support in facilitating the collaborative arrangement.
Chinese Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda Wei stated that China takes great pride in supporting the twin-island nation’s hosting of CHOGM 2026, building on its prior backing of Antigua and Barbuda’s high-profile international events including the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) and the General Assembly of the Organization of American States. She added that the Geely-provided electric fleet is expected to make a concrete, practical contribution to the successful delivery of the landmark Commonwealth summit.
The landmark partnership traces its origins to a formal mandate issued by Minister Greene to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration to source low-carbon, sustainable transport solutions specifically for the 2026 CHOGM event. The collaborative framework was secured by Antigua and Barbuda’s Embassy to the United Arab Emirates, with end-to-end coordination led by His Excellency Theon Ali, the embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission who also holds concurrent diplomatic postings as Ambassador to the State of Qatar and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic. Ambassador Ali collaborated closely with the Chinese Embassy in St. John’s and the Antigua and Barbuda foreign ministry’s headquarters to finalize all arrangements and bring the sponsorship to completion.
Beyond expanding the host government’s official transport capacity for the hundreds of visiting dignitaries expected at CHOGM, the 20-strong electric vehicle fleet aligns directly with Antigua and Barbuda’s long-term national strategic priorities to roll out low-emission, climate-friendly transport systems across the island nation.
The 28th edition of CHOGM is scheduled to take place in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, from November 1 to 4, 2026, centered on the official theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”. Chaired by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, the summit will convene heads of state and government from all 56 Commonwealth member nations, alongside delegations of business leaders, civil society representatives, and youth advocates. Full event details and updates are published on the official government portal chogm26.gov.ag.
Government of Antigua and Barbuda Receives 20 Zeekr 7X Vehicles for CHOGM 2026
