“Monaco strongly condemns the war of aggression against Ukraine”: Prince Albert II restates support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy at UN
Prince Albert II had a meeting with President Zelenskyy at the UN summit in New York © Prince's Palace
Following on from his address to the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations, Prince Albert II met with the Ukrainian President to restate Monaco’s position in person.
The Monegasque Sovereign’s presence at the UN General Assembly featured a speech at 9.45 am local time on Wednesday 24 September, followed by a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is their second meeting this year, the first being in May at the 6th Summit of the European Political Community in Tirana, Albania. “The increase in peacekeeping initiatives shows that dialogue and preventive diplomacy have unfortunately not always produced the expected results,” Prince Albert II declared, pleading for stronger multilateralism before the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations.
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Clear position on Ukrainian conflict
However, the Sovereign expressed his concerns about contemporary challenges: “We live in a multipolar world where national interests tend to take precedence over the search for a common international ideal.” With regard to Ukraine, Monaco restated its unambiguous position. “Monaco firmly condemns the war of aggression against Ukraine and the suffering it is inflicting on the civilian population,” declared Prince Albert II, adding: “I hope that a fair, lasting and negotiated peace agreement can be reached as soon as possible, one that guarantees security and meets the aspirations of the Ukrainian people.”
Call for UN reform
Faced with the shortcomings of the current international system, Monaco is calling for an in-depth transformation of the global organisation. ““Reform of our organisation must restore the confidence of peoples and bring them together in an effective structure, centred on its founding values,” said Prince Albert II, stressing the need to restate the founding principles: the sovereignty of States, the peaceful settlement of disputes and respect for international law.