Monaco and Luxembourg partner on digital innovation

Ceremony of commitment to implement the partnership agreement signed in Monaco © SIP / Jean-Christophe Verhaegen

The Minister of State Serge Telle and the Prime Minister and Minister of State Xavier Bettel signed a declaration of intent allowing the opening of constructive exchanges between the services of the two administrations in the digital domain. 

This declaration is the result of discussions between the teams of the Information Technology Center of the Luxembourg State (CTIE), and the Interministerial Delegation for the Digital Transition Monegasque.  

Frédéric Genta, interministerial delegate for the digital transition accompanied by a delegation, went on December 6 to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to meet Xavier Bettel.

Frédéric Genta visited the Luxembourg Data Center, which is known for its “green IT”.

The Principality of Monaco and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg make the digital transition a priority to support the modernization of their administration and encourage innovation on their territory. 

The synergies and dynamic interactions resulting from new information and communication technologies are creating new challenges for our economies and societies.

Therefore, this partnership will enable the CTIE and the Interministerial Delegation for the Monegasque Digital Transition to organize a sharing of expertise and experimentation on future topics such as the dematerialization of administrative procedures, e-health, or setting up a digital identity for each resident.

The two states are also launching a study aimed at safeguarding sensitive data in a Luxembourg data center with guarantees of immunity and privileges similar to those of an embassy. Data from Estonia are already hosted in Luxembourg on the same model. 

It had become strategically important for the Principality to find a solution to preserve certain data against risks of cyber-attack or natural disaster, guarantees that it is impossible to implement on a territory of two square kilometers.

Ceremony of commitment to implement the partnership agreement signed in Monaco © SIP / Jean-Christophe Verhaegen

Luxembourg, a true trusted partner in Europe, also hosts sensitive data such as those of NATO or the European Union.

The two governments welcome the establishment of this partnership, which is fully in line with European programmes for cooperation on innovation and digital security. 

Xavier Bettel underlined that this partnership on digital innovation reinforces the role of Luxembourg as a digital trust center and confirms the progress of e-government in Luxembourg.

43rd International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo coming Jan 2019

Festival Circus of Monte-Carlo

The famous Fontvieille track, on which the 43rd edition of the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo will open on January 17th, remains a place of permanent innovation, as the circus continues to evolve and transform itself.

– The Aliyev troupe, originally from Kazakhstan, who had already received a Silver Clown at the 35 th Festival, will present this year a large painting of flying artists on the theme of “Dante”. It is the famous director and director Alexandre Grimaïlo who choreographed this number of trapeze flying a rare elegance and technical complexity never seen!

– The acrobatic duo on Hoverboard (Segway): the young artist Nazerke Merekekyzy, a native of Kazakhstan, invented a new circus discipline by achieving bold balances with his partner Yoka Konyrbaeva … on this new means of locomotion, the hoverboard. While riding on the track, the two young women arrive at amazing hand-to-hand balances that took more than a year of rehearsals before they could be presented for the first time in the world … in Monaco!

– The Without Socks, clownish trio of Russia, take up a tradition somewhat forgotten, that of the clown entrance. The three artists, with a very personalized silhouette, despite their young age, have managed to get off the beaten path, take back clownish entries and bring them a freshness and a modernity that the Organizing Committee is proud to present in Monaco.

Festival Circus of Monte-Carlo

– Finally, the Gypsy High School, presented by Yuri Volodchenkov and the beautiful gypsy dancer Avelina Kvasova, will bring passion and pleasure under the big top. In addition to the magnificent complicity between the rider and the horse named “Legion”, the figures made by the two artists will make this performance an unforgettable gipsy love!

Saint Nicholas commemorated for Monaco children

Children receive Saint Nicholas chocolates

As is the tradition, Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, was celebrated on December 6, 2018, on the Rock. The Monaco City Council honours the Monegasque tradition each year of giving treats to children of the Principality.

The celebration began with a Mass of the Monegasque traditions in the Cathedral of Monaco by Monsignor Fabrice Gallo, in the presence of Monsignor Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco and U Cantin d’A Roca.

Children receive Saint Nicholas chocolates

Moments later, the children attending school in Monaco interpreted a skit from the legend of Saint Nicholas orchestrated by the National Committee of Traditions Monegasques.

To close the morning, the Mayor Georges Marsan and the elected André J. Campana, Henry Doria, Karyn Ardisson-Salopek and Claude Bollati gave the children in Allée Saint John Paul II a Saint Nicholas chocolate.

AS Monaco – Nice postponed to a later date

AS Monaco stadium

The meeting of the 17th day of L1 between AS Monaco and OGC Nice, initially scheduled this Friday, December 7, has been postponed to a later date.

AS Monaco stadium

At the request of the government of the Principality of Monaco and in conjunction with the prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes, the LFP postpones the meeting AS Monaco – OGC Nice on the 17th day of Ligue 1 Conforama and initially scheduled for this Friday, December 7 at 20:45.

The Competition Commission of the LFP will reschedule the match following a meeting.

Ticket info

Tickets for the game (Tickets, E-Tickets, Subscription Cards) will be valid for the new date set by the Competition Committee.

For those who wish to be reimbursed, all terms will be communicated on the official website.

Visit the car collection of HSH Prince Albert of Monaco

HSH Prince of Monaco car collection

Located on the Terrasses de Fontvieille, this remarkable exhibition brings together almost a hundred cars of all ages, produced by the top European and American manufacturers, as well as six coaches belonging to H.S.H. Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

In the late 1950s, Prince Rainier III, who was passionate about cars, began to collect vintage vehicles. Over the years, as acquisitions were made, the collection grew and very soon the garage at the Prince’s Palace proved too small to house the hundred or so beautiful cars, some sporty, others statuesque in silhouette, with their majestic bodywork, gleaming bonnets and regal grilles!

HSH Prince of Monaco car collection

And so in 1993, Prince Rainier III decided to unveil his treasures to the public.

This exhibition, covering an area of 5,000 m2 and unlike anything else in the world, features a collection of some one hundred cars, from the 1903 DE DION BOUTON to the 2013 LOTUS F1, not forgetting makes and models such as HISPANO SUIZA, ROLLS ROYCE, LINCOLN, FACEL VEGA, DELAGE, DELAHAYE, PACKARD, HUMBER, NAPIER, FERRARI, MASERATI, LAMBORGHINI, ALFA ROMEO, the LEXUS from the 2011 Royal Wedding, and more. Also on display are race cars which have competed in the Rallye de Monte-Carlo and the Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

Exhibition of Ferrari vehicles at the Cars Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco, from 3 December 2018 to 15 March 2019.

Open daily from 10am to 6pm. (except 25 December).

Kipchoge and Ibarguen named 2018 World Athletes of the Year in Monaco

IAAF World Athletes of the Year Eliud Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen (Philippe Fitte) © Copyright

Eliud Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen have been named the male and female World Athletes of the Year at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2018, held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Tuesday.

Kipchoge underlined his status as the world’s most dominant distance runner. The 34-year-old Kenyan won the London Marathon in April in 2:04:17 to finish comfortably ahead of one of the deepest marathon fields in history.

Five months later, he won the Berlin Marathon in 2:01:39 to smash the world record. His time in the German capital was 78 seconds faster than the previous world record, representing the biggest single improvement on a men’s marathon world record since 1967.

IAAF World Athletes of the Year Eliud Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen (Philippe Fitte) © Copyright
IAAF World Athletes of the Year Eliud Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen (Philippe Fitte) © Copyright

Not content with being the best triple jumper in the world, Ibarguen also tested herself against the world’s best in the long jump this year – and consistently came out on top in that too.

The34-year-old Colombian won both horizontal jumps at the Central American and Caribbean Games, the IAAF Continental Cup and at the IAAF Diamond League finals – winning the latter two titles in two different cities within the space of 24 hours.

She was unbeaten in all eight of her triple jump competitions, ending the year with a world-leading mark of 14.96m in her specialist event and a national record of 6.93m in the long jump.

Other awards went to

  • Armand Duplantis – Male Rising Star,
  • Sydney McLaughlin – Female Rising Star,
  • Andreas Brugger – IAAF President’s Award,
  • Joe Vigil – IAAF Coaching Achievement of the Year,
  • Evelyn Claudio Lopez – IAAF Woman of the Year Award,
  • Felix Sanchez Arrazola – Athletics Photograph of the Year.