Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Malta-President Michel to meet world leaders |26 November 2005

A spokesperson for the Seychelles delegation in Malta said President Michel is also due to meet with leaders of international organisations including the secretary general of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon. 

Meanwhile the Summit of the 53-nation organisation was officially opened on Friday by Queen Elizabeth, who hailed the spirit of togetherness that has bound the Commonwealth together through natural disasters in Asia and terrorism.

In her opening speech to leaders of the federation in Malta, she praised the generosity and aid after last December's tsunami in Asia, the London bombings in July and October's devastating earthquake in Pakistan.

"Last year's terrifying tsunami washed away lives and livelihoods across the Indian Ocean, and more recently we have witnessed the dreadful earthquake and aftershocks in southern Asia," she said.

"At times like these there has been an outpouring of concern and generosity as we have struggled together, first to save lives and then to rebuild. These times of trial have brought us together."

The Commonwealth states -- which together represent some 1.8 billion people and one fifth of the world's trade -- is a loose collection of mainly former British colonies.

The summit is expected to focus mainly on developing countries' fears that next month's World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong will maintain barriers to free trade.

Mr McKinnon told the opening session there was still time for poorer countries -- the majority of the club -- to influence the talks, despite pessimism among major players about progress towards a new global trade deal.

He said that if the Commonwealth could give the deadlocked negotiations "a shot in the arm," then the body would have shown its worth.

Nigeria's President Olesegun Obasanjo said Commonwealth countries should "sign, ratify and implement the United Nations' convention against corruption, which in many ways has been a self-inflicted barrier to trade and investment.

Addressing the opening of the summit, he said corruption has been "one of the major sources of underdevelopment and instability" in Africa and called for "clear and strong" sanctions against the misuse of public funds.