Juan David Latorre
The Embassy of Monaco celebrated last Thursday two anniversaries, that of the enthronement of Prince Albert II and the centenary of the birth of Prince Rainier III, father of our sovereign.
Catherine Fautrier-Rousseau had some affectionate words to say about Prince Rainier III, who “marked the history of Monaco with several events. Nicknamed the ‘Builder Prince’, Rainier III was at the origin of the economic and urban development of the Principality. It was he who ordered the extension of Monaco’s territory by having 22 hectares reclaimed from the sea. This expansion of our territory has made it possible to build several houses and offices to develop the business sector”.
The Monegasque ambassador continued, “Surely you all remember that our little country came into the limelight when Rainier III married Grace Kelly in April 1956. It was also during his reign that Monaco became, thirty years ago, the 183rd member state of the UN on 28 May 1993. Later, in October 2004, Monaco completed its accession to the Council of Europe as its 46th member state. For all this and much more, Monaco pays tribute throughout this year to Prince Rainier, who has enabled the Principality to play its role in the concert of international nations”.
After defending Monaco’s independence and sovereignty, the ambassador stressed that her country “works for and defends peace and unity. It stands in solidarity with the international community and confirmed this position during Russia’s attack on Ukraine. I would like to reiterate the deep support of the Principality of Monaco for the Ukrainian community. In addition to the emergency financial and humanitarian aid measures put in place by the government, the Principality has adopted a system of granting temporary protection that guarantees assistance and aid measures for displaced Ukrainians arriving in our region.”
“On the other hand,” continued Ambassador Catherine Fautrier-Rousseau, “Monegasque Official Development Assistance policy is in line with the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It makes human development and the fight against poverty its priorities, and targets the Least Developed Countries in particular.”
“It is clear that Monaco is a serious and supportive partner of Europe and the international community, he noted. As such, it plays its part in the aid provided to developing countries. We are geographically integrated in the European territory, and we share with Europe a common history and culture. Monaco also started negotiations several years ago, at the same time as Andorra and San Marino, to reach an ‘association agreement’ with the EU. The small size of our territory, 2.5 km², and the particularities of our country mean that we cannot fit into all the boxes formalised by the EU. But it is obvious that we are part of the European family in many respects”.
“Therefore,” concluded the Monegasque ambassador, “we hope to be able to find the necessary listening ear for the implementation of an agreement that will allow us to preserve the specificities of our small country. In these times of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever that we unite around shared values while also seeking to defend our particularities.”
The reception at the Ambassador’s residence was attended by her colleagues from Switzerland, Albania, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Austria, the Vatican Nuncio, Uzbekistan, Oman, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, South Korea and Lithuania, among others, along with representatives of the embassies of Poland, Turkey, Montenegro and Armenia, among others. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by the ambassadors’ introducer, María Sebastián de de Erice.
