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Monaco welcomes four new Ambassadors

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/10/2021

Monaco received new Ambassadors on Thursday from the countries of Madagascar, Gabon, Switzerland and Turkey in a luncheon ceremony held at the Hermitage Hotel.
Minister of External Relations and Cooperation Laurent Anselmi welcomed Olivier Rija Rajohnson, Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar, Liliane Massala, Ambassador of the Gabonese Republic, Roberto Balzaretti, Ambassador of Switzerland and Refik Ali Onaner, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey, on 14th October.
A lunch was served at the Hermitage Hotel after they met with Prince Albert II to present their Letters of Credence, the formal diplomatic letter that designates a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state.
Olivier Rija Rajohnson has worked for nearly four decades in the private sector in various fields such as banking, fruit export and tourism. He became Permanent Advisor to the Prime Minister of Madagascar at the end of the 1980s, then he was Minister of Water and Forests from 1997 to 2002. Afterward, he became Chief of Staff to the President from 2011 to 2014. In 2020, he was appointed Ambassador and accredited to France as well as to the Holy See.
Liliane Massala worked for the economic and social development of Gabon by creating in particular the Franco-American Academy of Management, the International Institute of Advanced Education and Training for Training in Digital Professions and the Christine Bahati Foundation for the Well-being, Health and Education of Young People and Women. From 1987 to 2012, she held the positions of Advisor and Deputy Director in the Cabinet of the President of the Gabonese Republic, before being appointed Secretary General of several Ministries from 2012 to 2020. Appointed Ambassador in 2020, she is also Permanent Representative to of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
Joining the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 1991, Roberto Balzaretti held several positions there before being appointed Secretary General in 2008 and then Jurisconsult. At the same time, he headed the Swiss Mission to the European Union from 2012 to 2016 and was appointed in 2018 Director of European Affairs and coordinator of all negotiations with the European Union for his country.
Refik Ali Onaner worked in several Turkish Departments and Ministries before taking up the post of Counsellor to the Permanent Delegation of Turkey to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 2006 to 2010. He continued his career at the Turkish Embassy in Paris, again as Counsellor then becoming Minister-Counsellor from 2012 to 2017. He then returned to Turkey and was appointed Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. Appointed Ambassador in 2019, he was first accredited to Tunisia before coming to Monaco.
 
 
Photo by Michael Alessi, Government Communication Department
 
 

Close but no cigar for Roca team in Madrid

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/10/2021

AS Monaco put forth a gallant effort but couldn’t quite take it over the line for the win against Real Madrid at the WiZink Centre Wednesday night. The final score was 86 to 94.  

The Roca Team were not on their best form on Wednesday night when they faced off against Real Madrid in a tough Turkish Airlines EuroLeague match on the road. There were some magic moments, but all-in-all, the team was outclassed by their opponents, giving them something to strive for this season.

The starting line-up was strong, made up of Paris Lee, Mike James, Danilo Andjusic, Donatas Motiejunas, and Jerry Boutsiele.

Madrid took the lead from the start, with the Roca team falling behind an astonishing one to 13. Andjusic stopped the haemorrhaging with a three-pointer followed by another two-pointer on its heels. This did nothing to deter Madrid, who took control again and in two minutes and widened the lead to six to 25.

They bounced back a bit in the second quarter, outscoring Madrid 27 to 21, but this still sent them into the locker room behind 39 to 51.

The second half saw the fire return to AS Monaco and they slowly began to claw their way out of the hole. Most of the third quarter, the two teams went head-to-head on shots, keeping Monaco within striking distance.

Mike James took the proverbial bull by the horns and scored a massive 14 points on his own in the third, bring the score to 65 to 72.

In the final quarter, Monaco managed to even things up, but the Spaniards were too good. In the end, the score sat at 86 to 94 – respectable considering how far they had to come to get there.

Monaco made 30 shots out of 63 on the night going 13 for 30 in three-point range. They captured 29 rebounds, made 22 assists, stole the ball nine times and picked up 10 strays.

Mike James was high scorer with an incredible 24 points, Donta Hall was next up with 12, followed by Will Thomas with 11.

The Roca boys return on Friday at 7pm for more EuroLeague action against Barcelona at Salle Gaston Médecin.

 

 
 
Photo by Manuel Vitali/Communication Department. Written by Monaco Life with press release
 
 
 

Interview: MYS General Director Gaëlle Tallarida

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/10/2021

As head of the world’s most prestigious yacht show, Gaëlle Tallarida had something even more challenging to overcome this year than a worldwide pandemic – the high expectations of exhibitors.
For 11 years, Gaëlle Tallarida has been the General Director of the world’s most prestigious yacht event, the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS). With her team of 17 in Monaco, Tallarida works tirelessly throughout the year to deliver a show which has grown exponentially since its inception three decades ago.
But never has there been a more challenging year than this one. On the back of a cancelled MYS in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, organisers promised to come back not necessarily bigger, but definitely better.
“Covid and the cancellation of last year was an opportunity for us and the industry to work together on what could be changed to make the show more efficient,” Gaëlle Tallarida tells Monaco Life. “The brokers and the shipyards really wanted to focus on private clients, and our goal is always to attract more owners and potential owners for yachts and charterers, but we also have a lot of B2B at the show which is an important element, so we had to make that more efficient too.”

A Birdseye view of the 2021 Monaco Yacht Show, photo by McClic

The result was a yacht show with clearly defined exhibition areas designed to improve the visitor’s experience. A new sailing yacht area featured 12 large sailing yachts, while the new Yacht Design and Innovation Hub offered visitors a better understanding of the construction process and a look into the future of superyacht design. It was also an opportunity for potential clients to meet with the experts who would design their future yacht.
In the end, the show attracted 440 exhibitors and 101 superyachts, half of which were launched in 2020 and 2021, reaching an estimated total worth of €3.6 billion. Featured yachts included 37 new launches and 14 superyachts measuring over 70m in length.​​​​​​​
“Personally, I am very happy with the show this year,” says the general director. “It has been really challenging because of Covid, and there was a particularly difficult moment in Spring when it came time for exhibitors to book spaces. Some wanted our guarantee that the show would definitely go ahead, something we could not give, so we had a very hectic summer finalising everything for the show. But in the end, it was very positive, and even if everyone was wearing a mask, we saw happy people, happy eyes behind those masks.”
Monaco was the first major international yacht show since the pandemic began, an opportunity to gather together industry professionals amidst a surprisingly booming market.
And while a change in ticketing system this year and increase in price meant less visitors dockside, that is exactly what the organisers had hoped for.
“The problem we had in the past, is we have been a victim of our success,” says the general director. “There were too many people coming to the show, even though it is not a general interest show. But this year, we had 19,000 visitors compared to 31,000 in 2019. Exhibitors said there were less people this year, but more serious leads, which is what they asked for.”
Yachts lining the harbour of Monaco during this year’s show, photo by ImagIN

Yacht owners, future yacht buyers and charterers were also afforded more VIP treatment, as requested by the industry. With their anonymous, invitation-only tickets they were given exclusive access to the Dockside Area on day one of the show, free to discover the yachts and tenders, meet with designers, brokers and shipyards without the crowds. Throughout the show, they were also able to skip the queues at the general entrances and be welcomed in designated lounge areas, contributing to the overall experience for these important clients.
All eyes were on Monaco for those four days in September, not least because of the multitude of jaw-dropping superyachts filling the harbour. It was an opportunity for the Principality to show that business can move forward in these difficult times. The organisers of the MYS had worked extensively with the government’s health department and doctors in establishing health protocols for the -day show, and while the long queues and mandatory masks garnered some criticism, most participants, says Tallarida, understood that it was necessary.
“We are proud to say that there was not a single case of Covid linked to the Monaco Yacht Show,” reveals the general director. “Of all of the people tested during the show or on their way back to their country, not a single case was detected.”
It is another feather in the cap of organisers, who appear to have pulled off a very successful Monaco Yacht Show in very difficult circumstances.
 
Click on the gallery below to see more pictures from this year’s Monaco Yacht Show…
 

New Space Affairs Office shooting for the stars

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/10/2021

Monaco is now home to a new Space Affairs Office, created as a single point of contact for all things space related. It is also a hub for companies in the industry looking to base themselves in the Principality.

After extensive talks with players in the industry, the government of Monaco has created the Space Affairs Office (Le Bureau des Affaires Spatiales) to help facilitate the business development of those whose activities include manufacturing telecommunications and earth observation equipment, and ‘astromobiles’, or rover, gear.

The office is intended to be a one-stop-shop for space undertakings, reporting to the Interministerial Delegation for the Digital Transition. This opening is a milestone event for the country, paving the way for the development of space-focused businesses that wish to use the Principality as a home base under a simple administrative framework.

At an international level, the Office of Space Affairs will ensure the Principality is represented with foreign counterparts, thus promoting partnership opportunities for the benefit of the participating specialised Monegasque companies. This will be undertaken in conjunction with the Department of External Relations and Cooperation.

“The development of the space sector in the Principality of Monaco reinforces the attractiveness of our Sovereign State in a new area,” said Frédéric Genta, Interministerial Delegate in Charge of Digital Transition. “With the creation of this entity, we will be called upon to participate in discussions on the subject alongside global and emerging space powers.”

Private aerospace, once the sole domain of public institutions, is increasingly going private. This booming industry is creating a world where there is a better understanding of climatic occurrences and Earth observation as well as closing the digital divide giving once remote places access to internet and WiFi.

The Space Affairs Office is expected to hold a meeting of the stakeholders in mid-October to define an action plan that meets their expectations.

For more information on the office, contact them directly at bas@gouv.mc.

 

Watch the preview: Alick and Albert

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/10/2021

In an unlikely friendship, the Prince of Monaco and an artist from the Torres Strait have united in a captivating new documentary film to help fight climate change and protect the ocean.
The two live on opposite sides of the planet, but ‘Alick and Albert’, as the film is called, are both driven by their ancestor’s legacies and a personal commitment to the ocean.
They met in 2016 at the Taba Naba exhibition of Aboriginal and Oceanic art at the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco, where Alick Tipoti’s work was being featured. “One day, maybe you can come and visit my island,” the acclaimed artist and activist said to Prince Albert at the time.
Alick and his family live on remote Badu Island in the Torres Strait, just off Queensland, Australia, and it was an invitation that the widely-travelled Prince couldn’t refuse. “When I was presented with an oral invitation, I thought it was wonderful,” Prince Albert reveals in the documentary.
That visit, and the power of art to connect individuals, forge friendships and initiate change, has been documented in this new feature for cinema, directed by Douglas Watkin and produced by Trish Lake of Freshwater Pictures. It will have its world premier at the Brisbane International Film Festival on 22nd October.
In a trailer, we see Prince Albert arriving on the island in a small twin engine plane. “I think the main thing is, make him fit in, make him be like one of us,” says one of the women. “He is going to be a local boy, Prince Albert II.”
The film includes the stories of the Badulgal people of Badu and the Monegasque people of Monaco, and it was part of a mission led by Monaco Explorations. It highlights a way of life that is threatened with every tide. “Our water is getting warmer faster than the global warming,” says a man to his community.
“It is hard to see the large sea creatures dead,” says another islander. “It’s not our fault.”
Prince Albert said his friendship with Alick Tipoti “just flowed very naturally”, adding, “this connection between art, science and nature embodied by Alick is simply remarkable.”
The documentary will also be screened at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair on 17th November and has been selected for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, as well as the St. Tropez and Cannes Cinéphiles Cinéma des Antipodes. A Monaco showing of the documentary is yet to be communicated.
See the trailer for Alick and Albert below…

 
 
 
 

MEB strengthens ties with Antwerp

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/10/2021

A delegation of a dozen entrepreneurs headed by the Monaco Economic Board (MEB) has taken part in a trade mission to Antwerp, Europe’s second largest port and the world capital of diamonds.
The trade mission in September opened with a dinner in the neogothic setting of the old trade exchange, Handelsbeurs, attended by Monaco Ambassador to Belgium Isabelle Berro-Amadeï  and Belgium’s Consul in Monaco Nancy Dotta-Van Tendeloo, also from Antwerp. During the evening, various speakers including Michel Dotta and Guillaume Rose for the MEB had a chance to highlight the advantages of doing business in the Principality to an audience of stakeholders and high-ranking figures in the Flemish city, most of whom were invited by Guy Van Doosselaere, Monaco’s Honorary Consul in Antwerp. Before the dinner, a cocktail provided the ideal setting for Monegasque companies to make their first contacts.
The main agenda took place the next day at the port of Antwerp, Europe’s second largest, where the delegation was hosted by the port authorities and toured several sites. They included Euroports, a subsidiary of the Monaco Resources Group which has several terminals and symbolises new trade relations between the two countries.
At the business forum organised on site, the MEB signed a cooperation agreement with the CBL-ACP Chamber of Commerce that will strengthen ties with Belgium and other regions in the world, notably Africa. CEMA (Club des Entrepreneurs Monégasques en Afrique) was also on the trip, represented by its President Fréderic Geerts who also signed an agreement. This was followed by targeted meetings between around 60 Monegasque and Flemish entrepreneurs, mainly but not exclusively on trade and logistics. In the evening, a dinner hosted by Mrs Berro-Amadeï was another chance to exchange business cards in a privileged setting.
On the Thursday there was an opportunity to visit the Antwerp World Diamond Centre through which all diamonds processed or sold in Antwerp pass through, that’s around 86% of the world’s rough diamonds and 50% of its polished stones. Initial analysis of the debriefing lunch which concluded the trip was very positive, highlighting the desire of companies in Monaco to conquer new markets.
The MEB is not resting on its laurels with the upcoming Dubai Expo20 when several sector-specific missions are planned. Another trip is also scheduled to St Petersburg in the first half of 2022.
 
 
 
Monaco Life with press release, photo source MEB