King Charles has acknowledged “the great suffering and injustices of the past” in his first engagement in the Bahamas during a historic nine-day tour of the Caribbean.

The tour marks Charles’ first visit to the region as King, and comes amid growing calls from Caribbean and African nations for Britain and other colonial powers to pay reparations for their involvement in slavery.

He received a ceremonial welcome with a guard of honour on the runway at the airport in the Bahamian capital of Nassau.

The King then addressed a youth rally at Clifford Park, telling the crowd he had “happy memories” of attending the island’s independence celebrations at the same place in 1973 when, as the then Prince of Wales, he represented the late Queen Elizabeth II.

To cheers from those assembled, he acknowledged the Bahamas culture and achievements, before noting that “what is best in Bahamian culture today – the most joyful, the most hopeful, the most bright ­– was born out of darkness”.

“It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past, in these islands and beyond, even as we rejoice in the success of the present and build new opportunities for the future,” the King said.

“I know that leaders of the governments of affected Commonwealth countries will be discuss these matters in Antigua and Barbuda [during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting] next week.”

King Charles also spoke of the challenges faced by young people today, especially those created by climate change.

“There is perhaps nowhere better than the Bahamas to understand the realities of climate change that threatens so many communities across the Commonwealth,” he said.

The King’s tour puts him at the heart of the debate over demands for the payment of compensation from countries involved in the slave trade, and is expected to fuel further questions about whether he should apologise for Britain’s role in the trade.

However, while the King has previously described the slave trade as an “appalling atrocity”, the BBC reports that in line with the UK Government’s position, he will not offer such an apology or reparations.

Outside the youth rally, a small group of protestors urging reparations reportedly gathered with placards saying, “Pay us what you owe us”.

The Bahamas National Reparations Committee, which wants its government to put the issue at the centre of the CHOGM discussions, has responded to the King’s speech, saying the island’s culture was born not our of darkness but “out of agency and out of the will to survive despite the horrors, trauma and degradation”.

“Our culture is a testament to the power of the human spirit, not simply a reaction to the worst examples of it.

“We therefore do not need King Charles to tell us how outstanding our culture is … We need him to speak about his role in the darkness and how he plans to atone for it actively.”

After his three-day visit to the Bahamas, the King will spend several days in Guyana before travelling to Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by Queen Camilla. Prime Minister Andy Burnham will also be representing the UK at CHOGM.