Queen opens CHOGM in Malta

After the climate change discussions in Malta on Friday, the leaders will head for the traditional CHOGM retreat, at which they will discuss the two issues now at the top of most world leaders’ priorities: tackling extremism and radicalisation, and the migration crisis.

“At this meeting, the Commonw-ealth will be charged with demonstrating leadership, often in practical ways, on an agenda of global iss-ues”, Queen Elizabeth said in her opening address on the Mediterranean island.

The Queen arrived in Malta before the Commonwealth heads of government meeting created to tackle extremism.

The Commonwealth me-anwhile appointed its first female secretary-general on Friday when leaders chose Dominica-born law-yer Patricia Scotland to take over the running of the 53-country organisation.

The Queen said she was indebted to Prince Philip for his “boundless energy and commitment” to the Commonwealth over that time. Her Majesty said that she could not “wish to have been better supported and represented in the Commonwealth than by the Prince of Wales who continues to give so much to it with great distinction”.

Prince Charles addresses a business forum Thursday at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St. Julians, Malta.

She concluded by thanking the Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma “for his own eight years of dedicated service”.

At the start of the three-day state visit, the monarch was welcomed in the capital, Valletta, by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, receiving flowers from his twin daughters, Soleil Sophie and Etoile Ella.

CHOGM 2015 themed “Adding Global Value” would seek to use the Commonwealth’s strengths in worldwide politics to influence and effect change on important global issues.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, French President Francois Hollande and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau were among those who attended the event.

Earlier, Cameron said five million pound will be spent to help Commonwealth countries combat the spread of “poisonous ideologies”.

Royal protocol dictates that private conversations remain just that but diplomatic niceties meant it was impolite for Mr Turnbull to raise how he led the 1999 referendum campaign to have the Queen removed as Australia’s head of state.

Hollande made an extraordinary appearance at a summit of Commonwealth leaders – an organization of former British colonies and protectorates – to boost the fortunes of the COP21 climate negotiations that get underway this weekend in Paris.