King Charles III told Commonwealth leaders in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, on Tuesday, November 3, that the transatlantic slave trade was a “shameful chapter of history” that fills him with horror, but he did not apologize, France 24 reported, citing Reuters.

Opening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which brings together 56 member states, most of them former British colonies, the king said his growing understanding of that history made him more committed to building modern partnerships that address past wrongs. He urged leaders to look ahead so that “evil need not have the last word.”

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to Britain apologizing for slavery, and officials were discussing with national leaders at the summit what form an apology could take. Neither the king nor the British government has apologized or discussed reparations, a question that dominated the run-up to the summit. A protester at the opening ceremony called for reparations from Britain.

Burnham also said he wanted to discuss debt relief for smaller Commonwealth nations and announced £40 million (about $54 million) over three years for critical infrastructure in the Caribbean.

The debate resonates in Haiti, which is not a Commonwealth member: the former French colony of Saint-Domingue won its independence in 1804 through a slave revolution and was later forced to pay France an indemnity in exchange for recognition.