The leaders of the Commonwealth grouping of nations met on Thursday ahead of a summit in the South Pacific nation of Samoa that will feature talks on climate change and the question of reparations for Britain's role in transatlantic slavery.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as they attend a State Banquet during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa, on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (William West/Pool Photo via AP)

Downing Street insists a discussion about the issue is not on the agenda for the summit of 56 Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth heads of government are to push for a "conversation" on reparations for the transatlantic slave trade when they meet for the association's first summit in two years, the BBC