Interview with Ambassador to China Catherine Fautrier

On Sunday 24th March, Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a historic visit to the Principality of Monaco. It follows almost a decade of concerted effort to build a relationship with China, one of the word’s largest and most alluring markets.

Ahead of the visit, Monaco Life Editor Cassandra Tanti sat down with Monaco’s Ambassador to China Catherine Fautrier to understand more about this unique relationship, and how a tiny Principality managed to secure a visit from one of the most important leaders in the world.

Thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to talk to Monaco Life. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to be Monaco’s Ambassador to China?

I have worked for the government for 25 years and I was previously in charge of Monaco Inter Expo and the various national pavilion exhibitions across the world. Essentially, I was in charge of the Monaco pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010 and we had enormous success there. So when it came time for Prince Albert to change ambassadors he asked if I would like to take the position and of course I said yes.

So the Shanghai pavilion proved to be an important turning point for Monaco?

I think this was the very beginning of the strong relationship that we have with China now, because the visibility we had during that exhibition was fantastic and it helped us to establish different contacts in various aspects – tourism, culture and economy.

Back then, there was a lot of curiosity on both sides. No one really knew how China was working at that time, the country was just at the beginning of opening their markets, so companies in Monaco were very interested to see if there were opportunities for new business. And the Chinese market didn’t know anything about Monaco at the time beyond the Prince and the Grand Prix, so it was interesting for them to learn more about our culture.

How different is Monaco’s relationship now with China than it was almost a decade ago?

We started from almost nothing and now we have so many different links with China. We have many meetings there, our tourism department goes to China each year to promote Monaco as a destination, and there are annual trade missions to China with the Monaco Economic Board, the last one of which was incredibly successful.

From a cultural aspect, we were able to host ‘The Forbidden City in Monaco: Imperial Court Life in China’ exhibition two years ago, which lead to a cultural exchange between Monaco and China in September 2018, when Prince Albert inaugurated the ‘Princes and Princesses of Monaco’ exhibition at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Ambassador Catherine Fautrier in China during the 2018 state visit

Can you tell us more about that state visit? What were some of the highlights for you?

Everything was just “wow”. To see all of the Monaco flags flying on Tiananmen Square, the historical items from Monaco, such as the Prince’s throne, inside the Forbidden City. It was something extremely special, to see the smallest country in the world inside the Forbidden City, which in itself is almost bigger than Monaco.

But the highlight was witnessing the connection between President Xi Jinping and Prince Albert. I had the chance to attend two official meetings with both President Xi and Prince Albert and the future of the environment is a subject upon which they talk about, a lot. To see the heads of states linked and connected about something so important, it was really something special. They have a very similar view on this subject, the same concern about the future of our planet, and they really do want to do something together.

Prince Albert and President Xi Jinping in 2018

So, this is a perfect example of where being small can be an advantage, there are no conflicts between the two countries…

Yes exactly, and Prince Albert is the only one who can do this. He is the only head of state who can go to all of the countries across the globe and talk to all the leaders without having any vested interest or agenda. Monaco is not a superpower, we have no agriculture, no weapons, no oil, no primary resources. But thanks to that, Prince Albert can connect with and talk directly to world leaders and say to them “we all have to do something”. He has this legitimacy because we are not in competition from an economic point of view, so he can deliver his message. And thanks to his involvement, Monaco has a wonderful image all over the world.

Six years ago, China initiated it’s ‘War on pollution’, which has seen dramatic results – a 70% reduction in Sulphur dioxide and a 36% reduction in particle pollution. Prince Albert must be very impressed with President Xi’s leadership?

China has done a fantastic job on this particular aspect. It hit a really critical point and started to become a disaster for the population. But what is amazing about China is that as soon as the political system decides to do something, all of the country takes action and moves together to achieve it. They’ve done very well in reducing the air pollution but also in cleaning the rivers and land. They are much more advanced than the EU, for example. Ten years ago all bicycles and motorcycles were already electric in China, and we have just started here in Europe to have electric vehicles!

What are some of the positive outcomes of this mutual interest in the environment?

We are really developing our relationship with China on this aspect. The Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation has been working with China for a few years now and on Tuesday we received authorisation from the Chinese government to open our first representative office in Beijing. It means that Monaco can start to work more easily with China. Because if you want to work with China you have to be based there. We had to show them our willingness to work with them, but it was difficult to move forward with other collaborations.

How will this help in doing business with China?

The real economy today is based on sustainable development and the protection of the environment, so there will be more and more companies dealing with products, etc. regarding this aspect.

President Xi will likely be officially welcomed in the magnificent Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace.

Finally, can you share with us the schedule of President Xi’s visit on Sunday?

It will be quite a short visit because he is visiting Monaco in the middle of Italy and China. And by the way, it is the first state visit of a Chinese President to Monaco, so the programme will be very official at the palace: an official welcome ceremony with all the army corps, then the president and his wife will have a private meeting with Prince Albert and Princess Charlene. Then there will be a bilateral meeting with both representatives of the Chinese and Monaco governments, and after that a state lunch at the palace. There will also be some students who are learning mandarin who will deliver a small theatre show. It is going to be brief but busy.

 

 

The “morning after pill for chicks” takes out Clean Equity award

A technology company that will save billions of day-old chicks from a cruel death has just won an innovators award in Monaco. eggXYt say they’ve developed the “morning after pill for chicks” and it is set to revolutionise the poultry industry.

CleanEquity® Monaco 2019, the forum for emerging sustainable technology and resource efficiency companies, hosted by Innovator Capital and the Monaco Economic Board, closed on Friday 15th March with the Awards Ceremony in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

An independent panel of judges, chaired by Prince Albert, selected eggXYt as winner of the award for Excellence in the Field of Environmental Technology Research.

“Congratulations to eggXYt for their groundbreaking research in a field which is finally beginning to receive the attention it deserves,” said Mungo Park, Chairman of Innovator Capital.

eggXYt addresses one of the egg industry’s most pressing challenges, the culling and destruction of seven billion male chicks each year. In the layer industry, chicks are culled via suffocation, grinding or even more cruel methods. The males are terminated because they are not useful for laying eggs or for breading meat, generating an annual loss of $1 billion.

eggXYt  has developed a technology that enables sex detection of chick embryos immediately after the eggs are laid and before they enter the 21 day incubation process. The unhatched eggs containing males can therefore be used in secondary markets such as pharma, pastry etc.

“After being selected as one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable technologies to present at CleanEquity Monaco 2019, eggXYt is honoured to win the award of excellence in the field of environmental technology research by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco,” Yehuda Elram, Co founder and CEO of eggXYt said.

The award for Excellence in the Field of Environmental Technology Developments went to BL!XT, who has developed miniature, solid state circuit breakers, creating the spark for an entirely new shift in energy.

Sun Mobility won the award for Excellence in the Field of Environmental Technology Commercialisation. Sun Mobility pioneers in electric mobility and clean energy and is enabling EVs for mass adoption by offering a faster, more convenient and more affordable way of EV fuelling.

CleanEquity Monaco will be returning to the Principality of Monaco in March 2020.

AS Monaco launch on TikTok

AS Monaco has launched a TikTok account to engage with young fans and target the lucrative Chinese market. The short video platform is known as Douyin in China and has more than 500 million users around the world.

Late last year ASM launched an account on Chinese social media platform Weibo which now has more than 100,000 followers, while its account on VKontakte, the most popular social media site in Russia, has reached 35,000.

The Ligue 1 club already has nine million followers across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

“By creating its official account @asmonaco on TikTok, AS Monaco continues its digital development and confirms its ambition to offer exclusive and interactive content to its young supporters on innovative media,” the club said in a statement.

“TikTok allows everyone to create content directly on their smartphones and we are committed to engaging with a community of young users who share their passion and creative expression through videos.”

TikTok has offices in Peking, Berlin, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

Uniting Monaco’s art scene

Some of the world’s top art collectors and buyers will come to Monaco at the end of April for the 2nd edition of Monaco Art Week. Media were invited for the event launch this week at CREM, and were given a sneak peak of some of the incredible art work that will be on show.

Participating galleries gave short presentations during the media launch on Tuesday 19th March

The Monaco Art Week Association was created in 2018 to unite Monegasque galleries and auction houses that are spread out over different areas of the Principality. Specialising in ancient, modern and contemporary art, MAW participants will work hand in hand to welcome the public to their spaces and help in their discovery of nearly five centuries of artistic production.

“Not many people are aware that some of the world’s top collectors live in Monaco,” Fabrizio Moretti, owner of the Moretti Fine Art gallery told Monaco Life. “We have important institutions like Villa Sauber and Villa Paloma, who do very sophisticated exhibitions. But I believe that Monaco could, in the future, be one of the most important cities for the art market.”

MAW provides a website for people to discover the partner exhibitions, serving as a reference portal for visitors in the Principality. Meanwhile, a free shuttle service will be available, providing uninterrupted transport through the three main neighbourhoods where participating galleries are located: Larvotto, Monte Carlo and Condamine. Not only will the system ease access to exhibitions, it is also designed to encourage visitors to explore the Monegasque artistic landscape – the Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival, museum exhibitions, Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Art Monte-Carlo, PAD art fairs and other events that are taking place during the same period.

The 2nd edition will be held from 24th to 28th April and will feature unique exhibitions and appointments with 14 galleries and auction houses, including the Kamil Art Gallery, Artcurial, Monaco Modern’ Art, and Moretti Fine Art. Highlights will include ‘Giovanni Balducci for Saint John the Lateran’, an oil painting from the 1600s, at the Moretti Fine Art Gallery, paintings from the Belle Epoque period at Wannenes, and ‘Monaco Sculptures’ at Artcurial.

Giovanni Balducci, called il Cosci, Florence, 1560 – Naples, 1603 The call of St. Peter and St. Andrew (part.) Oil on canvas, XVI.

There will also be a round table on current issues related to the art market, the subject of which will be revealed soon.

“It is important to do something like this in Monaco,” said Moretti. “Monte Carlo naturally attracts the top players of the contemporary world, and this year we are bringing a lot of collectors, amateurs, and people who love art. So we have created a system for people to go around Monaco and enjoy the city, as well as being important for dealers.”

Monte Carlo Fashion Week launches 7th edition

Alberta Ferretti will be guest of honour at the Monte-Carlo Fashion Week this May, presenting her Resort 2020 collection. It will also be a momentous occasion for the Chambre Monegasque de la Mode, which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Alberta Ferretti fashion show

The Monte Carlo Fashion Week (MCFW) returns from 15th to 19th May as the official fashion event in the Principality of Monaco. Created in 2013 and organised by the Chambre Monegasque de la Mode(CMM), the 7th edition will feature resort, cruise and capsule Spring-Summer 2020 collections. The schedule of events includes shows by iconic and emerging designers at the Fashion Village in Espace Fontvieille, as well as fashion conferences and social events, leading up to the highly anticipated MCFWFashion Awards Ceremony on Friday 17th May.

Monte-Carlo Fashion Week is held under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Princess Charlene of Monaco and gains in prestige year after year, adhering to the international fashion week calendar.

The guest of honor of this edition is Alberta Ferretti who, on Saturday evening, will parade with the Cruise 2020 collection at the Yacht Club of Monaco. The designer, always a great supporter of ethical fashion, has recently launched a collection of garments made with carefully selected materials, with certifications that guarantee the recycled origin of the material, the use of biological fabrics and a reduction in the use of chemical substances.

The 2019 edition of Monte-Carlo Fashion Week coincides with another significant achievement, the 10th anniversary of the Chambre Monegasque de la Mode. The CMM was founded in April 2009 by Federica Nardoni Spinetta and serves two purposes. Firstly, it represents and spreads the values of local fashion designers and promotes the Made in Monaco creativity on an international level. It also aims to promote the Principality as a key to fashion worldwide.

The Chambre Monegasque de la Mode, in partnership with the Monegasque Government, the Monaco Town Hall and the Tourism Office of the Principality, regroup and federate diverse designers and brands such as Banana Moon, Beach & Cashmere Monaco, Diana d’Orville, Elizabeth Wessel, Leslie Monte-Carlo, Loona Monte-Carlo, and Stardust Monte-Carlo.

CMM president Federica Nardoni Spinetta

“We are proud to support emerging designers, offering the Principality of Monaco as a prestigious window to the world,” said CMM president Federica Nardoni Spinetta.

Last year’s event saw more than 40 international and Monegasque brands, representing 16 countries, presenting their collections and giving a particular focus to sustainability and innovation.

For the past three years, MCFW has supported the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.

Tourist authority welcomes new president and deputy

A new team has been appointed to head the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority. Former Deputy Director Guy Antognelli becomes the new President of Monaco Tourism and Sandrine Camia, who has been serving as head of the Monaco Convention Bureau for the past seven years, becomes Deputy Director.

Guy Antognelli and Sandrine Camia

Sandrine Camia brings extensive experience in the tourism industry to her new role. She spent 20 years working with luxury hotel brands including Hotel Lutetia in Paris and Hotel Martinez in Cannes, which were then both properties of the Taittinger Family. She held the position of Director of Sales, Marketing and Communication for two independent luxury hotels, Hotel Royal Riviera in Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat and Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo. In 2011, she was appointed head of the Monaco Convention Bureau and has been in charge of the promotion and development of MICE, while implementing new communication and marketing tools and ensuring the loyalty of its best customers.

“It is a new challenge and a recognition of the work accomplished at the Convention Bureau,” said Camia about her appointment as Deputy Director. “These past seven years have been rich in experiences and successes.”

After post-graduating in Finance Engineering at Nice-Sophia-Antipolis University, Guy Antognelli started his career in a Monegasque subsidiary of a Swiss private bank, first in the back office then in the risk management and internal audit department.

During the next 10 years, he contributed to the development of an insurance company in Monaco, managing high end client portfolios using his financial expertise as well as his social skills.

In 2011, he was appointed head of the statistics department of the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority. He has contributed to the development of this service and has extended his field of action to strategic and competitive intelligence.

In 2015 he took the position of Deputy Director and worked in close cooperation with all services for promoting and developing tourism in the Principality.

“This appointment is recognition of my work and a statement of trust from the Government,” said Antognelli. “I especially look forward to working with a team who is dedicated to promoting the destination and has achieved great results over the past years.

“My aim is to lead all missions of the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority to ensure a high level of tourism throughout the year and to maximise the economic benefits for the destination.”