1955 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

7th Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference
Dates 31 January 1955–
9 February 1955
Cities London, United Kingdom
Participants 9
Heads of Government 8
Chair Sir Winston Churchill
(Prime Minister)
Follows 1953
Precedes 1956
Key points
First Taiwan Strait Crisis, SEATO, international and regional security, trade and development, Pound sterling area

The 1955 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the seventh Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in January 1955 and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill.

A sense of international crisis loomed over the conference which occurred during which the First Taiwan Strait Crisis as were other international developments such as the sudden resignation of Soviet Premier Georgy Malenkov and the fall of French prime minister Pierre Mendès France, all of which were discussed.[1] Atomic energy for peaceful purposes, disarmament, and trade and economic development in the Sterling area, and regional defence were also discussed, in particular the defence of South East Asia, the formation of SEATO and in particular the ongoing insurgency in Malaya.[1]

Pakistan informed the meeting that it was to become a republic and the meeting affirmed that Pakistan would be welcome to remain in the Commonwealth.[2]

Participants

Nation Name Portfolio
United Kingdom United Kingdom Sir Winston Churchill Prime Minister (Chairman)
Australia Australia Robert Menzies Prime Minister
Canada Canada Louis St. Laurent Prime Minister
Dominion of Ceylon Ceylon Sir John Kotelawala Prime Minister
India India Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister
New Zealand New Zealand Sidney Holland Prime Minister
Pakistan Pakistan Muhammad Ali Bogra Prime Minister
Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia Sir Godfrey Huggins Prime Minister
South Africa South Africa Charles Robberts Swart Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1
  2. ↑ "The Commonwealth at the Summit: Communiqués of Commonwealth Heads of ... - Google Books". Books.google.ca. Retrieved 2013-11-11.