The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, will pay an official visit to the Principality of Monaco on 8 and 9 April.
He will hold talks with Prince Albert II during an audience, after which the Secretary General will be elevated to the rank of Commander of the Order of Saint Charles.
Meetings are also scheduled with the Secretary of State for Justice, Samuel Vuelta Simon, and the President of the National Council, Thomas Brezzo.
During these talks, the Secretary General will discuss strengthening of the cooperation between the Council of Europe and Monaco, as well as the priorities of the forthcoming Monegasque Presidency (15 May-10 November 2026), which, in particular, is to hold a conference of ministers responsible for sport on 3 and 4 November.
Against a particularly unstable international background, the talks are also expected to focus on the protection of human rights, the strengthening of democratic security, in particular through the New Democratic Pact for Europe, and the next steps towards accountability and justice for Ukraine - which remains one of the priorities of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
The Secretary General will also address the diplomatic conference to be attended by the entire Monegasque diplomatic corps on the Council of Europe's role in addressing current challenges.
On 9 April, Mr Berset will meet senior secondary school pupils at the award ceremony for a competition held on young people's role in safeguarding democracy. He will take the opportunity to reiterate the importance of involving young people more closely in political decision-making and democratic processes.
Secretary General Alain Berset
The Council of Europe's support for Ukraine
Monaco and the Council of Europe
