PM Transcripts

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FOR MEDIA TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 1980
COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 1981
At the Lusaka Meeting of the Cormmonwealth Heads of Government
in August 1979, Australia's offer to host the 1981 meeting
was accepted.
The 1981 meeting will be the largest Commonwealth Heads of'
Government Meeting so far, with 41 countries now being entitled
to attend, including Zimbabwe and Vanuatu for the first time.
In addition to the Heads of Government it is expected that there
will be many other official delegates including Ministers, and
that there will be a large contingent of media representatives
visiting Australia for the meeting.
Because of the size of the conference facilities required for
a meeting of this magnitude and the large amount of hotel
accommodation needed for all the visitors, the Government decided
that-the meeting would take place in Melbourne using the
Exhibition Building as the venue.
Following consultations by the Commonwealth Secretary Genera.
with member Governments of the Commonwealth as to the dates
of the meeting, it has now been confirmed that the meeting will
take place from Wednesday 30 September 1981 to Wednesday
7 October 1981.
As has already been announced, the Heads of Government will
visit Canberra during the intervening weekend for the traditiLonal
retreat at which they will carry on the work of the meeting in
less formal surroundings away from the conference table.