The two summits to be held in Malta in November were discussed today during a meeting between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon.

Mr Ban said Commonwealth countries should show a political will in favour of sustainable development, mostly when it came to climate change. He praised Malta’s choice to dedicate the main CHOGM session to the matter.

Dr Muscat said Malta wanted the CHOGM to move from its traditional agenda and focus on climate change in this final global meeting before the UN summit in Paris. Since there existed different views, CHOGM in Malta had to come up with a plan for the future.

On the Valletta summit, Mr Ban Ki-moon said it was important that Malta, as migrants’ first destination, was to be the centre on discussions on a situation of great concern.

Dr Muscat noted that Malta had been raising this matter on its own for years. Now that the challenge hit central Europe, others were saying what it used to say in the past. There was debate and divisions in the EU but he was proud that, compared to other continents, Europe was taking concrete action.

Only a little had been done as yet but it was positive that, at last, Europe had become conscious that something had to be done about this human tragedy.

He said that these developments, together with the Valletta summit, could lead the international community to come up with the necessary tools and institutions to address this phenomenon which was the result of people aspiring for a better life.