Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other Commonwealth leaders posing for photograph with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday — AFP LONDON, Apr 19 (BSS): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined the heads of governments of Commonwealth nations as Queen Elizabeth-II opened their 25th summit welcoming the leaders to "my own home" at Buckingham Palace.
London hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for the first time in 20 years, a move seen as a chance for Britain to reconnect with its former colonies.
"Commonwealth is growing stronger year by year . . . I believe we'll secure a safer and more prosperous and sustainable world for the future generation," the Queen said while declaring open the meet with its theme being "Towards a Common Future".
More than 100 officers and soldiers from the Coldstream Guards offered the honour guard, wearing their famous scarlet tunics and bearskins, alongside the Band and Corps of Drums.
Following the opening, the Commonwealth leaders were to participate in three executive sessions at Lancaster House.
The Commonwealth leaders were scheduled to attend the official reception to be hosted by British Premier Theresa May and Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland QC at the Lancaster House while they would join another reception of the Commonwealth secretary general at St James Palace. The Commonwealth leaders joined their first CHOGM in 1971 in Singapore while the last one was hosted by Malta in 2015 as the summit is held once every two years in member states on rotation basis but this pattern has twice been interrupted so far.
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