Prince Albert II of Monaco has concluded his first ever state visit to Malaysia with a trip to tiger and elephant conservation centres with King Abdullah Shah and his son Hassanal Shah.

It’s been a whirlwind four-day inaugural State Visit to Malaysia that began on Sunday 26th November and included the inauguration of a new Honorary Consulate of Monaco and speaking at the Monaco Economic Forum Kuala Lumpur 2023.

On Tuesday, Monaco’s Head of State joined King Abdullah Shah and his son Hassanal Shah in visiting the Malayan Tiger Conservation Centre and the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre, two leading institutions in the protection of animal species threatened by poachers and deforestation.

There are currently only 150 tigers left in the wild in Malaysia.

See also: Prince Albert II in Malaysia on a diplomatic and environmental mission

During his trip, Prince Albert told Malaysian national news agency Bernama that both countries have many possible areas that could mutually benefit both countries in the future, in line with the opening of the new Monaco Honorary Consulate Office, including tourism and education, as well as sustainability development.

“I had a beautiful visit today at the tiger rehabilitation centre and the elephant centre. It was wonderful to see it and also see how my foundation can help in protecting these animal species not only in Malaysia but in Asia as well,“ the Prince told the local media.

On 25^th November, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the country aims to foster collaboration with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Prince Albert was given an official send-off on Wednesday, walking past a guard of honour at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

From 1^st to 4^th December, the Prince will attend the COP28 conference in Dubai.

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Main photo credit: Michael Alese / Palais Princier