London, Thanasis Gavos

Sir Keir Starmer, the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to visit an island state in the Pacific Ocean, has been in Samoa for the meeting of heads of government of the Commonwealth member states since Wednesday night.

In 28 hour flight he told reporters accompanying him that he wanted to discuss with the other leaders the great shared challenges of the future, such as climate change, and not “issues of the past”. He even warned that a reparations debate would be “endless”.

Nevertheless, the BBC reports that leaders of Commonwealth member countries from the Caribbean and Africa will put on the agenda of the talks the request to consider awarding reparations from Britain for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Downing Street insists the issue is not on the agenda. But diplomatic sources have told the BBC that a deal is being negotiated to promote further investigation and open a “substantial debate” on an issue that could expose Britain to a billion-pound debt in reparations.

This intention was essentially confirmed by the Foreign Minister from Bahrami, Frederick Mitchell, in his statements on BBC radio.

Reparations for the slave trade can take many forms, from financial reparations and debt forgiveness to formal apologies, educational programs, the construction of special museums and financial support.

The text of the proposed communiqué seen by the BBC speaks of an agreement on a “substantive, honest and respectful debate towards charting a common future based on equality».

The British government has set as its goal since the meeting to become the Commonwealth of 56 member countries, including Cyprus, “a force for opportunity and for growth in an increasingly contentious world».

Mr Starmer will say that by 2027 the Commonwealth is expected to include six of the world’s ten fastest growing economies: Guyana, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Uganda, India and Mozambique. It will also have a total GDP of $19.5 trillion and a population of 2.5 billion, with 60% of them under the age of 30.

In Samoa for the meeting as part of a four-day tour, King Charles, who as the head of the Commonwealth organization will inaugurate the meeting, is from Wednesday.

In a visit to Kenya last year, the 75-year-old monarch had expressed “deep regret and remorse” for the wrongs of the colonial period, but had not formally apologized, which would have required the agreement of the British government.