Prime Minister said:
Good morning everybody, can I welcome you again to London, and
welcome you to the first session of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads
of Government Meeting.
This is the 25th time the leaders of Commonwealth nations have
gathered to address the great issues of the day – although for
many of us, myself included, this is the first time we’ve
attended as heads of government. So let me extend an especially
warm welcome to all the first-time attendees, and in particular
to President Adama Barrow, bringing The Gambia back into the
Commonwealth fold. Welcome.
I’d also like to formally thank Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of
Malta for his work as Chair-in-Office. Your steady leadership
delivered a very successful tenure, and it’s a pleasure to
receive the baton from you at today’s meeting. Thank you.
It’s a meeting that takes place at a time of significant global
challenges. The rules-based international system, which has
consistently delivered both prosperity and peace, faces threats
in many forms and on many fronts. Climate change and extreme
weather continue to take lives and damage livelihoods across the
Commonwealth. And the new opportunities afforded by the digital
world have brought with them new risks, with our cyber security
under attack from individuals and state actors.
All these issues and more will be addressed in a series of
meetings over the next two days, both here at Lancaster House and
in the retreat at Windsor.
The great strength of the Commonwealth is that all our members
have equal status, an equal voice, and an equal right to make
that voice heard. So as we tackle these challenges, I want to
hear from everyone, and everyone will have chance to speak.
We face many challenges in the world today. But the Commonwealth
is a unique organisation and, at this summit, we have an
opportunity to deliver lasting change that benefits all of our
2.4 billion people. I’m looking forward to working with you all
as we move the Commonwealth towards our common future.
