Britain Queen Elizabeth II delivers her speech in front of the heads of government at the opening of the CHOGM (Commonwealth heads of Government meeting) in Valletta, Malta, Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.
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Mr Cameron said: “It’s good that president Hollande is here at the Commonwealth meeting because there is a chance in the run up to the vital Paris conference on climate change to build the momentum for a global deal”.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 Independent States, which came together after the decolonisation of the British Empire and is headed symbolically by HM Queen Elizabeth II.
As the Royal party arrived – Charles and Camilla in one aircraft and the Queen and Prince Philip in another just minutes later – violent rainstorms and nearly hurricane-force winds disrupted the official welcome.
Valletta is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from Friday to Sunday.
The Commonwealth links more than 2 billion people on five continents, including large countries like India, Australia and Canada and small island states like Tonga and Vanuatu. The Commonwealth’s most glorious days, he said, were when it did speak out. “I still feel 10 years old, I’m more than excited”.
He said the prime minister would attend a banquet hosted by the British Queen and another by Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
She spoke of the Commonwealth’s potential to tackle climate change – giving as an example the Commonwealth Canopy initiative to protect the world’s forests – and stressed the importance of getting young people involved in the fight to slow global warming.
Following the New Heads lunch, The Prince of Wales will visit the Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa, to view an exhibition of the finalists of “Out of the Blue: The Prince of Wales’s Commonwealth Environmental Photography Awards” and join discussion with youth delegates.
Earlier, Cameron announced setting up of a Commonwealth unit to target the extremist groups fuelling terrorism.
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“We do have a responsibility to act now… and I’m sure that the Commonwealth will play a critical and leading part in this endeavour”, the heir to the throne said.
