Gilles Tonelli, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, spoke on a number of topics important to the Principality at the 24th Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, held in Vienna on December 7 and 8.

The minister reaffirmed Monaco’s commitment to the fundamental rules of international law, first and foremost the defence of human rights, the rule of law and democracy, as well as the respect for the principles of justice and peace.

Gilles Tonelli praised the OSCE’s many actions in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, as well as the important efforts made to calm tensions in the region. He also reaffirmed the financial support of the Principality to the OSCE Special Observer Mission to Ukraine.

In addition, Mr Tonelli indicated that the Principality will continue its efforts to contribute, as far as it can, to the fight against “the terrorist scourge”. These efforts are reflected in the extension, for three years, of the programme that Monaco is supporting alongside UNODC, aimed at helping the Sahel countries to improve their criminal justice systems in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and by supporting the “Octopus-Cybercrim Program” under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

Finally, Gilles Tonelli said that the Principality of Monaco remains resolutely engaged with its Mediterranean partners, notably through the extension, in 2018-2019, of a financing agreement between the Prince’s Government and the OSCE on a project to ”fight against trafficking in human beings along migration routes”.

This extension was signed, in the margins of the Ministerial Council, in a bilateral meeting with Ambassador Thomas Greminger, the new Secretary General of the OSCE, in the presence of Madina Jarbussynova, Special Representative and OSCE Coordinator for the fight against trafficking in human beings.

The minister was accompanied in Vienna by Ms Isabelle Berro-Amadei, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Principality of Monaco to the OSCE, and Lorenzo Ravano, First Counsellor to the Monaco Embassy in Berlin.

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