French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in Monaco for a historic state visit. They were welcomed by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene with military honours.
ADVERTISEMENTFrench President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived in Monaco on Saturday, where they were welcomed for a historic state visit to the principality on the French Riviera.
Macron and his wife received traditional military honours from Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco in a ceremony at the Prince's Palace.
In a post on Facebook, the principality hailed its relationship with France, saying the principality and Paris have a strong bond of friendship with an open border.
The palace stated that Monaco and France cooperate in various fields, including health, safety, culture and education, emphasising that both states are focused on a more sustainable future.
According to the Prince's Palace, more than 40,000 French citizens cross the border each day to work in Monaco, and Macron's visit presented an opportunity to discuss bilateral issues and those of mutual interest.
Macron's two-day visit is the first state visit to Monaco by a French president since that of François Mitterrand in 1984.
It also comes ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice on Tuesday, which Macron is billed to attend alongside other global leaders, with the EU expected to formally launch the European Ocean Pact.
UN ocean conference in Nice
The pact seeks to address climate and pollution threats to biodiversity, as well as challenges for coastal livelihoods.
Meanwhile, the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, on Saturday described the pact as a shared roadmap for ocean health and marine sustainability.
Kadis said this during a key speech at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco ahead of the UN Ocean Conference.
"In the context of this year's UN Ocean Conference, we have pledged approximately €1 billion in voluntary commitments for ocean and coastal biodiversity and climate," Kadis told the forum.
This support extends beyond the EU, also targeting dedicated initiatives across Africa, the Pacific, and Latin America," the EU commissioner said during his address.
However promising, some NGO groups have taken a jab at the pact, saying it falls short of needs and is a missed opportunity.
In a joint statement, a group of six leading environmental NGOs stated that the pact falls short of delivering the urgent action and binding targets necessary to protect the oceans.
Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the 3rd UN Ocean Conference runs from Monday to Friday.