Kamla at Westminster Abbey today 

 Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who left Trinidad for the United Kingdom on Saturday for celebrations of Commonwealth Week 2011, is today participating   in the Commonwealth Day      Observance ceremony at   Westminster Abbey. The large multi-faith gathering is being attended by Her Majesty the Queen of England, heads of government, faith leaders, several hundred young people and dignitaries from around the world. Persad-Bissessar, as Commonwealth chair, has been invited to take part in the formal ceremonies to commemorate the Commonwealth Day theme Women as Agents of Change. 

Tomorrow, the T&T leader will address the UK Parliament on Commonwealth Day, on two occasions. She will give the opening address at a conference on Educating Women and Transforming Society and later that day, the feature address at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to youth delegates attending the CPA Commonwealth Day programme. In addition to taking part in Commonwealth Week activities, the objective of the Prime Minister’s visit to the UK is to provide key networking opportunities between Trinidad and Tobago business leaders and their UK and other business people and Government representatives from throughout the Commonwealth. 

While in London, Persad-Bissessar will also launch the Children’s Life Fund and seek to galvanise support for the local fund and the Pan-Caribbean Fund from the Caribbean community residents in the UK. She is scheduled to return to Trinidad and Tobago next Monday. 

T&T delegation in London

A contingent of business and cultural representatives is accompanying Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on her current visit to the United Kingdom. The high-level delegation of self-funded business leaders from Trinidad and Tobago, includes Dominic Hadeed (Blue Waters), Dianna de Sousa (CEO, TSTT), Gervais Warner (Neal & Massy Holdings), Junior Sammy (Junior Sammy Construction), Roy Peake (Peake Industries), Andrew Sabga (CEO, Ansa McAL), Larry Howai (First Citizens Bank), Derek Hudson (BGTT) and Jewan Ramcharitar (chairman, E-TEK). The cultural delegation, headed by Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston Peters, includes Denyse Plummer, Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts, Kernel Roberts, Timel Rivas and Pranava Maharaj.