Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – Over the weekend, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed her upcoming official travel to Antigua and Barbuda to participate in the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, scheduled to kick off on November 2. During her projected 3 to 4 day absence from the twin-island nation, Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John will step into the role of acting prime minister, a decision Persad-Bissessar stated she made without any hesitation.
The prime minister shared the travel plans and administrative arrangement while addressing reporters on the sidelines of the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission’s Divali celebration event held in Couva on Saturday evening. She emphasized that the upcoming biennial summit carries significant strategic value for Trinidad and Tobago, as it will convene official representatives from all 52 member states of the Commonwealth.
Hosted in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, this year’s CHOGM operates under the official theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.” Beyond the gathering of sitting heads of government, the high-level forum will also bring together senior cabinet ministers, leading figures from the global business community, civil society stakeholders, and youth organization delegates. The agenda is set to feature in-depth deliberations on priority global and regional issues including climate resilience, cross-border trade expansion, technological innovation, gender and social equality, and progress toward shared sustainable development goals.