Abuja, Dec 05: Queen Elizabeth II today officially opened a 52-nation summit of Britain and its former colonies in which Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is also participating. Amid tight security in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, the Queen heralded the Commonwealth's values of "democracy, human rights and the rule of law."
"The Commonwealth is one of the great partnerships of the world where rich and poor, large and small, work together for the common good," she said.
Member countries, she added, must together tackle the challenges of "poverty, hunger, environmental degradation, the scourge of HIV and AIDS, the lack of educational opportunities" and the threat of international terrorism.
Flanked by Australian Prime Minister John Howard and the conference host, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Queen watched the elaborate and colourful welcoming ceremony.
Tribesmen and women from three ethnic groups performed traditional dances to the beat of drums and members of Nigerian choir clapped their hands and swayed as they sang to the leaders.
Bureau Report