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Month: January 2024

Monaco marks the ‘Year of the Dragon’

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/01/2024

Monaco has nurtured relations with China through a festive Chinese New Year celebration held in the Principality, which brought together a number of dignitaries from both nations.

In celebration of the Chinese New Year, which will begin on 10th February, the Monaco-China Association, with the support of the Monaco Embassy in China, organised a ‘Dragon Evening’ on 29th January at the Fairmont Hotel.

Symbolising strength and fortune in Chinese astrology, the legends connected to the Wood Dragon predict that 2024 will be a dynamic year of abundance, success and prosperity.

Monday evening blended Chinese culture with Mediterranean gastronomy and brought together guests from Monaco and China’s diplomatic, economic and cultural spheres. Among the dignitaries present were Christophe Steiner, Director of the Office of Prince Albert II, Ambassador of Monaco to China Marie-Pascale Boisson, and Dong Guangli, Consul General of China in Marseille.

The Tianjin Theater and Opera Troupe showcased an ancient and multidisciplinary Chinese art performance at the event, incorporating storytelling, dance, music and acrobatics in stunning traditional costumes.

Various aspects of Chinese culture also adorned the evening, including the Lion Dance, tai chi demonstrations, Chinese calligraphy, a guzheng concert of traditional Chinese music and contemporary Chinese pop songs.

 

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Photo: Marie-Pascale Boisson, Ambassador of Monaco to China, source: Government Communication Department 

Alpine Week at the Café de Paris: a menu inspired by the mountains

by: Elsa Carpenter
30/01/2024

Featuring a classic Mont d’Or and tartiflette as well as a decadent dish involving röstis with truffle, the Café de Paris has unveiled an authentic mountainside menu for its new Alpine Week event that will be taking place next week. 

From Monday 5th to Sunday 11th February, Chef Victor Marion and his team at the Café de Paris will be serving up a range of hearty mountain dishes that wouldn’t look out of place on the menu of a restaurant in Courchevel or Gstaad. 

Starters include a tarte montagnarde with endive and herbs for €19, a selection of charcuterie for €39 and an appetising juniper-smoked trout tartare for €26.  

The mains are equally tempting, from a Beaufort-enriched gratin de crozet at €32 to a traditional tartiflette for €35 and Swiss style Diot sausages cooked in white wine and served with truffled röstis for €39. That’s not forgetting the Savoyarde fondue and baked Vacherin Mont d’Or, which both cost €35 per person for a minimum of two diners.  

The Café de Paris’ pastry chefs have joined in with the theme too and there will be three Alpine-inspired desserts on offer on the special menu: a brioche aux pralines roses for €14, a Génépi-soaked baba for €15 and a delicious blueberry tartlet for €14.  

Guests can also expect a handpicked list of suitable wines and cocktails to accompany the Alpine Week suggestions.  

Click here for more information and to reserve a table at the brasserie.  

Read related:

Reimagining elegance: the Café de Paris transformation

 

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Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

Monaco introduces landmark agreement to enhance response protocols in health establishments

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/01/2024

Authorities have signed a new ‘health-police-justice’ agreement, designed to improve how police officers and the justice system deal with incidents at Monaco’s health clinics.

On Friday 26th January, Monaco’s Secretary of State for Justice Sylvie Petit-Leclair, Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Christophe Robino signed the agreement which aims to improve the response of judicial authorities and police services to multiple situations that may arise in a health establishment. These can include medical care for victims of violence or sexual assault, the mistreatment of a minor, admission of detainees or people in police custody, possession of narcotics, and theft and damage within the health establishment.

“This institutional partnership, which will be supplemented by operational technical sheets, will thus strengthen the coordination of services, the standardisation of practices and, consequently, the effectiveness of interventions,” said the government in a statement.

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Photo left to right: Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario, Secretary of State for Justice Sylvie Petit-Leclair, and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Christophe Robino, source: Government Communication Department

Hellenic Community of Monaco welcomes in new leadership during Vasilopita celebration

by: Niki Borisova
29/01/2024

Earlier this month, more than 200 members and friends of the Hellenic Community of Monaco gathered at the Yacht Club de Monaco to welcome in the association’s new Board of Directors and to celebrate Vasilopita.  

Monaco’s Greek community united at the central venue on Sunday 14th January to witness a number of important transitions within the club’s structure.  

Firstly, Sophia Vaharis-Tsouvelekakis formally concluded her second term as President, receiving a warm round of applause for her efforts, and handed the baton on to Ekaterini Lanara, a fellow businesswoman who has lived in the Principality of Monaco for more than 15 years.  

Vaharis-Tsouvelekakis’ final official task in her capacity as President was to honour certain members of the community for their efforts over the last year. These included: Michael Seliniotakis for his humanitarian efforts; John Christodoulou for his philanthropic endeavours; George Vafiadis for his contributions to yacht design; and the island of Kastellorizo and its residents for their cultural and societal contributions. 

The Hellenic Community of Monaco’s new Board of Directors was also presented at the event. Grigorios Stassinopoulos, Gerasimos Marinis and Dimitrios Anastasakos will serve as Vice-Presidents while Anastasakos will hold a secondary role as Treasurer alongside Dr. Panagiotis Kyriazis. Vasileios Kasimatis is taking on the position of Secretary, Athanasios Kourniotis will manage the Public Relations responsibilities of the community and Leonidas Kampanis will serve as Event Manager. 

For more information about the Hellenic Community of Monaco and its various activities and events, click here.

 

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Photo credit: Hellenic Community of Monaco 

Officials tour newly renovated and extended Les Mélèzes residence building

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/01/2024

Local ministers and councillors have signed off on the latest addition to Monaco’s National Housing Scheme: 14 new state-owned apartments in the renovated Les Mélèzes residence building on rue Plati next to the Grand Ida construction site.

Members of the Monaco government, including Finance and Economy Minister Marco Piccinini and Equipment, Environment, and Urbanism Minister Céline Caron-Dagioni joined National Council President Brigitte Boccone-Pages, and other councillors for a visit to the government-owned building Les Mélèzes on 25th January.

The building underwent significant renovation in 2021 and 2022, as well as an extension, allowing for the building of an extra 14 apartments designated exclusively for Monegasque nationals.

The tour was an opportunity for the delegation to inspect the quality of the renovation of the entrance hall and common areas, and to visit the recently delivered apartments.

Initially, the building underwent renovation with the aim of improving its energy balance and fire safety systems, as well as providing better comfort for its occupants. The implementation of external thermal insulation combined with window replacement was accompanied by a transition in heating methods, initially from fuel to gas and then to the urban hot and cold network.

The building is now less energy-consuming and the apartments are better insulated thermally and acoustically.

Meanwhile, practical improvements were made in the standardising of mailboxes, the installation of an elevator from the entrance of the building, access to a garbage room compliant with sorting requirements, the installation of a videophone, and balcony lighting.

In a second phase, two floors were added to the building, providing an additional 14 apartments.

“It constitutes an innovative and unprecedented solution for a government operation in that the housing units are composed of factory prefabricated modules, unlike traditional methods, transported and assembled directly on-site,” said the government in a statement.

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Photo source: Government Communication Department

Sports round-up: AS Monaco draw with Olympique Marseille, Roca Team secure back-to-back wins

by: Niki Borisova
29/01/2024

It was another busy weekend on the court for the Roca Team, who first played Anadolu Efes in Istanbul then Chalon at home in the Principality, while AS Monaco travelled to the Stade Vélodrome for a tense draw with Olympique Marseille.  

The EuroLeague game in Turkey got AS Monaco Basket an important win on 26th January, although it was touch and go until the last moment: 78-80.  

Two days later, and back on home soil in the Principality, the Roca Team met Chalon in the Salle Gaston Médecin for a Betclic Elite face-off that was won by a much stronger margin: 82-69. Mike James and Elie Okobo demonstrated their combined ability to stunning effect as the former racked up 28 points in 15 minutes while the latter took 24.  

The next Euroleague fixture will take place in Monaco on 31st January against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, while an away clash in the Betclic Elite is scheduled for 4th February against Bourg-en-Bresse. 

In-between the two basketball games, there was time for a major meeting between Riviera rivals AS Monaco and Olympique Marseille, which took place at the Stade Vélodrome.  

AS Monaco managed a draw with Olympique Marseille despite being two men down by the end of the game. Photo credit: AS Monaco

The result was a draw, despite AS Monaco being reduced to just nine players by the end due to some eyebrow-raising decisions from the referee.  

“I don’t want to talk too much about the refereeing of the match this evening,” AS Monaco’s manager, Adi Hütter, told the press in the aftermath. “I am responsible for my team, and I want above all to compliment my players for the play the produced this evening and for their reaction after certain moments of the match which unduly influenced the outcome… We were the better team tonight.” 

The next match for AS Monaco will be a Ligue 1 home game on 4th February against Le Havre AC. 

 

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Photo credit: asmonaco.basketball