“The holding of this meeting in Monaco is, for us, a happy moment. It is due to the importance we attach to the International Organisation of the Francophonie, of which the Principality of Monaco is honoured to have been one of the founders, and of which it is today an active member and faithful support.”
With these words, Mr. Serge Telle, Minister of State of the Principality, opened the 36th Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie (CMF), which is taking place over two days at the Grimaldi Forum.
Before the representatives of 88 States and Governments sharing the French language, many Monegasque personalities, including Archbishop Bernard Barsi, the Government and Ministerial Advisers Laurent Anselmi, Patrice Cellario and Didier Gamerdinger, and the President of the National Council M. Stéphane Valéri, the Minister of State insisted on the Principality’s choice of the theme of this Conference “Reconciling Humanity and the Planet”: “To save our planet, all energies, all wills, all means must come together – can come together. Those of the States and Governments we represent here, of course. But so do those of civil societies and their youth in particular, those of companies, NGOs, intellectuals, artists, scientists – in fact, those of each of us… If we want to act effectively in the service of our planet, we must do so together. This is the purpose of the event we are organizing, on the sidelines of this Conference, on sustainable tourism”.
A speech that echoed the President of the Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie, Mr. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, and especially the Secretary-General of La Francophonie, Mrs. Louise Mushikiwabo. Elected last year as head of the Francophone Organisation, she warmly thanked the Principality for its involvement and organisation and highlighted the values “of this Francophone multiculturalism which is now at a crossroads and is only asking to affirm its unifying force”.
These expressions of strength and symbiosis through the sharing of the same language are reflected in the video message of Prince Albert II, shown at the meeting, in which he reiterated to the Secretary-General his full support for the reform she has undertaken and confirmed his support for Mrs Louise Mushikiwabo’s French-speaking vision.
In addition to the official interventions, this opening ceremony was dedicated to youth. This was strongly mobilized with the highly applauded intervention of the Petits Chanteurs de Monaco, the dancers of the Académie de Danse Princesse Grace and the students of Sciences-Po Menton who delivered a message full of wisdom, hope and respect.