The full text of the prime minister's statement on the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Nigeria.

"With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a statement on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, which took place in Abuja, Nigeria, from December 5 to 8. Copies of the Communiqué and Declaration have been placed in the Library of the House.

Her Majesty The Queen attended the meeting in her role as Head of the Commonwealth and also paid a State Visit to Nigeria. She was warmly welcomed by the Nigerian people. The outgoing Commonwealth Chairman in Office, Prime Minister John Howard of Australia, paid tribute on behalf of all Commonwealth members to The Queen's dedication and commitment to the Commonwealth. I know the whole House will wish to join me in echoing that tribute.

Nigeria itself only returned to the Commonwealth in 1999, after a turbulent period of military rule. The Queen's visit, and the holding of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting there, underlines the progress made since then in rebuilding a democratic and prosperous Nigeria. Britain is committed to supporting the reform programme led by President Obasanjo, for whose chairmanship of the Summit I gave sincere congratulations. In a difficult situation he managed matters with great skill.

Commonwealth Heads of Government last met in Coolum, Australia, in March 2002. At Abuja, we reviewed developments since then.We agreed on the urgent need to relaunch the world trade talks which stalled at Cancun in September, and underlined our collective commitment to a successful Doha Development Round.

That commitment is significant. The Commonwealth represents one-third of the world's population; developing and developed countries; large and small states; and agricultural, service and manufacturing-based economies. All have different perspectives and interests.

The fact that all of us agreed on the need to relaunch the Doha Development Round, and on the need for all parties to show flexibility in the search for agreement, shows that a global deal is possible. Everyone will gain if the talks succeed, but the biggest winners will be the world's poor. And if the talks fail, they will be the biggest losers too.

We discussed other development issues. Heads of Government agreed on the need to accelerate progress to meet the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve the proportion of people living in poverty by 2015. I reaffirmed the UK's own strong commitment to that goal.

Heads of Government also underlined their concern at the spread of HIV/AIDS. It now threatens not only Africa, but increasingly Asia and other parts of the world. Three million people will die of the virus this year alone. Two in three people infected live in Commonwealth countries. It poses one of the gravest threats to sustainable development.

We agreed on the need to redouble our efforts to fight this threat. Britain is playing its full part, including through our own Call For Action on World Aids Day, and we are now the second-largest bilateral donor in the world on HIV/AIDS, after the USA. Our bilateral aid amounted to more than £270 million in 2002/03 alone, a real demonstration of commitment on behalf of the people and Government of Britain.

The last Commonwealth Summit was postponed following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Since then the terrorists have continued their indiscriminate campaign. We agreed in Abuja that terrorism threatens everyone, regardless of nationality or faith; and that all Commonwealth members would stand together to meet and defeat this challenge.

The meeting considered the situation in the two countries that have been suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth: Pakistan and Zimbabwe.On Pakistan, Heads of Government welcomed the progress made back towards democratic governance. They expressed the hope that the Pakistan Parliament would soon pass the necessary measures to allow the lifting of Pakistan's suspension.

Where Pakistan has moved forward since Commonwealth leaders last met, Zimbabwe has gone backwards. The country was suspended from the Commonwealth in March 2002, shortly after elections, which the Commonwealth's own observers concluded were neither free nor fair.

Since then there has been more violence and intimidation against the opposition MDC; against lawyers and human rights activists; indeed against anyone speaking up against President Mugabe's oppressive policies. Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper, The Daily News, has been closed down, despite court orders in its favour.

Meanwhile, ZANU-PF's ruinous economic policies are driving the country further and further into chaos. Inflation is over 500%. Zimbabwe's GDP has halved in five years. The IMF decided last week to begin procedures to expel Zimbabwe, due to its appalling economic policies. Half of the population now needs food aid. Britain remains the leading cash donor for the UN's humanitarian programmes in Zimbabwe. In the last two years, we have given $100 million in food aid.

In these circumstances I and others argued that it was inconceivable that Zimbabwe should be readmitted to the Councils of the Commonwealth; and that on the contrary it should remain suspended until we saw concrete evidence of a return to democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law - the very principles on which the Commonwealth is founded.

I am glad to say that this approach was agreed. It was decided that Zimbabwe should indeed remain suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth; that President Obasanjo as Chairman in Office together with the Commonwealth Secretary General will seek to facilitate progress inside Zimbabwe; and that if sufficient progress is made on the issues of concern he will report, via a representative group of six Commonwealth members, to Heads of Government. Heads will revisit the issue in the light of that report, and take any decision on the lifting of the suspension by consensus.

This is the outcome we wanted. It is also the outcome President Mugabe worked assiduously to avoid. It gives the lie to one of his most outrageous claims - that the Commonwealth's approach to Zimbabwe is a white conspiracy led by the UK against black Africans. The fact is that every single Commonwealth member signed up to the Abuja Statement on Zimbabwe - including the other 19 African members of the Commonwealth, despite the strongly held doubts of some of those countries.

Nor did any African member of the Commonwealth take up Mr Mugabe's invitation to boycott the Summit meeting. The outcome in Abuja was hard fought, but in the end a victory for Commonwealth values.

Mr Mugabe's reaction - to withdraw Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth - shows clearly that he does not accept Commonwealth principles. It was a decision taken without regard for the wishes or wellbeing of the Zimbabwean people. ZANU(PF)'s isolation will be increased. But the strong bonds that exist between the Zimbabwean people and the rest of the Commonwealth remain. There will always be a place for a democratic Zimbabwe in the Commonwealth.

The Summit also re-elected the present Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, for a second and final four-year term. We welcome that outcome. The Secretary General has done an excellent job in his first term. He will continue to have our full support in his second.

Finally, I participated at the Commonwealth sports breakfast. We looked back to Manchester's successful hosting of the last Commonwealth Games in 2002, and forward to the next in Melbourne in 2006. I highlighted the UK's future sporting priorities.

At this Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting a group of more than fifty countries came together to discuss the issues that matter most to their peoples - prosperity, security, sustainable development, the fight against terror - and agreed a common approach on all, in the interests of all.

They discussed more controversial issues like Zimbabwe, where it is no secret that there were and remain a range of differing views among member states. But here too, through serious discussion and debate, the Commonwealth was able to reach a consensus on the way forward. I commend the outcome to the House."