Seychelles’ President Danny Faure attending Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London
Send to Kindle
(Seychelles News Agency) - The President of Seychelles, Danny Faure, is joining other world leaders at the 25th meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in London from April 16 to 20.
The 2018 CHOGM is taking place under the theme "Towards a Common Future". The organisers of the meeting have set out four main goals for the summit, including boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment; and increasing cooperation across security challenges including global terrorism, organised crime, and cyber-attacks.
The two other goals are promoting democracy, fundamental freedoms, and good governance across the Commonwealth; and building the resilience of small and vulnerable states to deal with the effects of climate change and other global crises.
The succession of the head of the Commonwealth and the roles of other members of the royal family are also expected to be discussed.
The position of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, held by the government leader of the CHOGM host country, will be transferred at the summit from the Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May, who will hold the post until the 26th CHOGM expected in 2020.
This will be the first CHOGM held following the United Kingdom's decision to withdraw from the European Union, a decision which has resulted in calls for Britain to strengthen its ties with and play a greater role in the Commonwealth.
President Faure leaves the island nation on Saturday and will return on April 22. Seychelles – an archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean - joined the Commonwealth on the day of its Independence on June 29, 1976.
The Commonwealth regroups a community of 53 nations working together to promote prosperity, democracy, and peace and through this year’s summit provide a platform to discuss global challenges and agree how to work together to create a better future for citizens.
Adama Barrow, the President of the Gambia, will also be attending the meeting, as the Gambia had returned to its status as a Commonwealth republic on February 8 this year.
