Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves will miss the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, starting June 20.
The 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2022, will be the 26th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. The meeting was originally scheduled for 26–27 June 2020 preceded by various fora between 22–25 June but was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The office of the Prime Minister on Thursday said Gonsalves had contracted the COVID-19 virus and will be quarantined until Monday 20 June.
“As a result, he will be unable to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, on Sunday, June 19, 2022. There has been no adverse reaction to the Prime Minister’s health, and he is working from home”, the Prime Ministers’ office said.
Gonsalves told St Vincent Times on Thursday night that Finance Minister Camilo Gonsalves could attend in his absence.
Commonwealth leaders will travel to Rwanda to reaffirm their common values and agree on actions and policies to improve the lives of all their citizens. Decisions taken at CHOGM also guide the work programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The official opening of CHOGM takes place on Friday 24 June and is followed by the main high-level meetings of Heads from Friday 24 to Saturday 25 June. They are proceeded by four Forums, ministerial meetings, side events and other activities.
The Commonwealth is one of the most original and dynamic global associations. Made up of 54 countries from five continents, it is composed of both advanced economies and developing countries and is home to over 2.5 billion people – 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30.
