Antigua and Barbuda is stepping up preparations to host next year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) with support from the United Kingdom.

Foreign Minister Chet Greene met UK Minister Chris Elmore on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, where they discussed plans for the summit and wider cooperation.

Talks also covered the planned Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Centre of Excellence, part of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS. Greene urged UK backing, describing the Centre as a hub for innovation to tackle development challenges facing vulnerable island nations.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to Commonwealth values and to supporting small states.

Greene’s meeting with Elmore formed part of a series of bilateral talks as Antigua and Barbuda readies itself to host CHOGM in 2026.