French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, received a warm welcome in Monaco during their historic state visit to the French Riviera on Saturday. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco honored the couple with traditional military honors at the Prince’s Palace, marking the first state visit to Monaco by a French president since François Mitterrand’s visit in 1984.
During the visit, Monaco emphasized its strong bond of friendship with France, praising their open border that allows over 40,000 French citizens to commute daily to work in Monaco. The palace highlighted the cooperation between the two countries across various fields, including health, safety, culture, and education, with a shared focus on creating a more sustainable future.
Macron’s visit also served as an opportunity to discuss bilateral issues and matters of mutual interest, as the presidency aims to strengthen ties between the principality and France. Following this visit, Macron is set to attend the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, where he will join other global leaders in addressing climate and pollution threats to oceans and coastal livelihoods. The European Union is expected to launch the “European Ocean Pact” during the conference, which seeks to promote ocean health and marine sustainability.
European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, recently expressed enthusiasm for the pact, describing it as a comprehensive roadmap for ocean well-being and sustainability. Although pledging approximately €1 billion in voluntary commitments for ocean and coastal biodiversity and climate, the pact has received criticism from environmental groups, who argue that it lacks the urgent action and binding targets needed to effectively protect oceans.
Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the 3rd UN Ocean Conference is taking place from June 9 to June 13.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/2025/06/08/french-president-emmanuel-macron-welcomed-in-monaco-for-historic-state-visit
