Day: 16 October 2017

On the occasion of the visit to the Principality of a Swedish delegation, led by HRH Prince Carl Philip, to participate with HSH Prince Albert in a conference at the Yacht Club on the theme “Connecting and Protecting our Seas,” the Monaco Economic Board and its Swedish counterpart Business Sweden seized this occasion to jointly organise a business event.

A conference was held on Thursday, October 12, on the theme of Sweden and its business opportunities for Monegasque companies, in the presence of Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and Economy and HE Veronika Wand-Danielsson, Ambassador of Sweden to Monaco.

In the Sunrise Lounge of the Yacht Cub, the meeting heard from Michel Dotta, President of the Monaco Economic Board, Ambassador Wand-Danielsson, Robert Wentrup, Business Advisor of Sweden in France-Business Sweden and Jonas Jakobson, Founder of Nordic Equities, an investment fund mainly dedicated to Nordic companies. Mattias Lindgren, State Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure, ended the discussion with a brief but impactful speech.

The Monegasque entrepreneurs present, representing a wide range of industries, were able to discover a country with high-performing economy very open to international business, complemented by solid expertise in innovation and environment, two themes dear to the Principality.

The latest Global Competitiveness Index published by the World Economic Forum ranks Sweden, with a population of ten million, in seventh position among 139 countries, based on criteria as diverse as innovation, macroeconomic dynamism, technological maturity, business, health and education, labour market efficiency, and so forth. These qualities have led to the emergence of global giants such as Ikea, H&M, Ericsson and Volvo.

While the country suffered during the crisis of 2008 with a significant decline in growth, it was able to make a rapid comeback with a resilience that is not unlike that of the Principality. Unemployment has shown a downward trend for over five years with a current rate of 6.8 percent.

Another feature highlighted by the speakers, which echoes Monaco, is the culture of consensus that exists both in the social and economic spheres and which also explains this ability to adapt to modernity.

These arguments have confirmed the intention of the Monaco Economic Board to organise in 2018 an economic mission to Stockholm, its first to Sweden, as announced by President Michel Dotta, for the beginning of June. The announcement was warmly welcomed by the Swedish delegation and the Monegasque entrepreneurs present.

While official relations between Monaco and Sweden were established in 2009, economic exchanges remain embryonic, so the potential is significant.

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As part of its public service provision, the government is launching, via Monaco Telecom, its new Monaco WiFi service. Residents and tourists will now enjoy a new connectivity experience in the Principality.

The Monegasque operator has been deploying for several months a new fibre optic network for all 26 hotspots. The aim is to offer better coverage and more efficient flows on more than 30 public sites, including markets, parks, squares, and ports, and post offices, and the railway station.

The WiFi access portal has also been redesigned. It is now in six languages – French, English, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese – and suitable for all types of devices: smartphones, tablets and PCs.

Authentication is simplified, faster and reconnection is automatic. Finally, the portal meets the new Monaco regulations in terms of digital security.

For optimal accessibility, the Monaco Welcome application, developed by the Welcome Office, offers a location-based service for all hotspots.
Access is free for Monaco Telecom customers subscribing to a fixed Internet offer thanks to the MC Nomade account, and a “Discovery Pass”  of two hours is also offered free for any new user.

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At the invitation of the Italian government, currently Chair of the Mediterranean Contact Group of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a Monegasque delegation led by HE Isabelle Berro-Amadei, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the OSCE, participated in the Mediterranean Conference, in Palermo, on the theme “mass displacement of migrants and refugees: challenges and opportunities”.

This conference, held on October 14 and 15, was in the context of the preparation of a Global Compact on Refugees and a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which will be submitted to the 73rd Session of the General Assembly (UNGA) for approval in September 2018.

These pacts follow the 2016 New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants and serve as a political commitment to global cooperation on human mobility.

The Mediterranean Conference 2017 shares the aims of the Sustainable Development Programme 2030, adopted by the UNGA in 2015, in several aspects, given its global context.

This high-level political segment, opened by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Italy and Austria, Angelino Alfano and Sebastian Kurz, focused on strengthening security and promoting international and regional cooperation to address current challenges.

In her speech, Mrs Berro-Amadei stressed Monaco’s particular interest in these issues of major importance in its foreign policy, expressed its support for dialogue and cooperation to protect the most vulnerable people as well as actions to defend their rights.

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