Britain will support the re-admission of Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth if it meets the admission requirements and complies with the values and principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter, Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Gillian Keegan said this week.
Responding to a question from Ruth Jones on what her department was doing to support Zimbabwe’s application to join the Commonwealth, Keegan responded:”The decision on whether Zimbabwe re-joins the Commonwealth is for all Commonwealth members. The UK will support re-admission if Zimbabwe meets the admission requirements and complies with the values and principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter.”
Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth in 2003. It failed to rejoin the organisation at its summit in Rwanda in June.
The next summit will be in Samoa in 2024.
Q &A:
Ruth Jones Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans her Department has to support Zimbabwe’s application to join the Commonwealth.
Gillian Keegan Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office): The decision on whether Zimbabwe re-joins the Commonwealth is for all Commonwealth members. The UK will support re-admission if Zimbabwe meets the admission requirements and complies with the values and principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter.
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