A Working Party oF the European Free Trade Association visited Monaco at the end of last week. From the Monaco side, the aim was to communicate the Principality’s unique character.
Monaco has been engaged for eight years with the European Union with the aim of agreeing an Association Agreement. The European delegation was made up of representatives from Member States, the General Secretariat of the EU Council, and the General Secretariat of the European Commission.
“The crucial focus was to ensure the delegates of the Member States fully appreciate the validity of the requests made by Monaco to preserve its specific characteristics within the framework of these negotiations. For this reason, they were provided with an exhaustive presentation of the demographic, geographical, social and economic realities of the Principality,” the Government said.
At the end of the three-day visit, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Berro-Amadeï said: “The Principality of Monaco is, in many respects, a country whose specific characteristics can be difficult to grasp without first-hand experience. I hope that our partners have been able to uncover the reality of Monaco, a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, whose institutions are based on the fundamental values of law, democracy and the protection of individual freedom. All of which are values that we share with the European Union.”
At the end of a very busy programme, the representatives of the Member States and the European institutions were welcomed by the Minister of State, who explained that “the Government of Monaco considers this visit to be of great importance, as it will enable us to convey to the European institutions and capitals important political messages about what is at stake for the Principality during the current negotiations”.
The visit was initially scheduled for March 2023 but was postponed due to social unrest in France over pension reform.
ORIGINAL SOURCE & PHOTO: Monaco Government Press Service
