Monaco and Italy Grow Closer Through the Words of Prince Albert II and President Mattarella

The first state visit by a President of the Italian Republic to Monaco has come to a close. It marks a historic milestone in the special and fraternal ties that bind the Principality of Monaco and Italy. 

Here is what Prince Albert II and President Sergio Mattarella said to each other as they parted ways on October 3, 2026, following their visit to the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. 

Statement by H.S.H. Prince Albert II

His Excellency Sergio MATTARELLA, President of the Republic; Mr. President of the Republic; Mrs. Mattarella; Ministers; Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen, 

First of all, Princess Charlène, my family, and I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for doing us the honor of this visit.
This event is all the more exceptional because it marks the first state visit by a President of the Italian Republic to Monaco. This demonstrates just how important your presence is today, Mr. President, and how rich in meaning it is. 
In fact, while this is a first, it fits naturally into a long history—a family history, for many Monegasques whose origins lie on the other side of the border.
This is also true for me, although it dates back quite some time, as more than seven centuries have passed since my Grimaldi ancestors left Genoa for Monaco. 

While many Monegasques have close ties to Italy, the same is true for Italians. Italians account for about one-fifth of Monaco’s resident population and constitute the Principality’s second-largest foreign community. Italy is, after all, along with France, the only country to have a resident embassy in Monaco. The shared history of our two countries is, in fact, naturally also political.
In this regard, I am pleased that Monaco is participating as an observer in the meetings of the Franco-Italian Cross-Border Cooperation Committee established by the Treaty of the Quirinale. 

And I am delighted that Monaco has joined the Community of Italian-Speaking Countries, established late last year, which we had the opportunity to discuss right here in February 2025, during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani. 
I hope that, in the wake of these intensive exchanges, we will be able to continue our discussions on issues of common interest. I am thinking, for example, of the air services agreement, which has been under discussion for many years and which, I hope, will soon modernize the 1989 bilateral agreement. And I am thinking of the issue of access for residents of the Liguria region to medical care provided in the Principality. 

Beyond these issues, I hope we can achieve closer coordination between our two countries, particularly with regard to the reactivation, in 2025, of the Italian-Monegasque Administrative Cooperation Commission. 
But our discussions were not limited to our bilateral relations. We also addressed broader issues, and I am pleased with our shared views on the important matter of environmental protection, particularly the protection of marine environments. 

Exactly fifty years after the signing of the RAMOGE Agreement, your visit to the Oceanographic Museum has allowed us to reaffirm our unity on these issues. And I am pleased, in this regard, that Italy currently holds the presidency of the Agreement. I hope that in the future we will be able to explore these issues in greater depth, as I know that your country is contributing to this global struggle for the future of our planet.
Mr. President, I have mentioned our historical and political ties, and I certainly cannot overlook our economic ties, which are so strong and numerous. 
Italian companies are firmly established in key sectors of our economy. The introduction of remote work has facilitated the hiring of Italian cross-border workers. And the first Italy–Monaco Business Forum confirmed the vitality of our trade, as well as our shared commitment to encouraging innovation, investment, and partnerships between our companies. 

Beyond its economic contribution, the Italian community in Monaco plays a significant role in the life of our Principality. Through its presence, its work, and its involvement in the Principality’s community, social, and cultural life, it keeps alive—every day—the special bond that unites us, alongside the Monegasques. And I know it will continue to do so in the years to come. Because this historic, multifaceted, rich, and fruitful relationship I am speaking of is simply a relationship of friendship.
A loyal and unshakable friendship, which we have been able to experience together on several occasions in the past. A friendship that your presence further strengthens. 

On behalf of all Monegasques, I would therefore like to thank you, Mr. President, and assure you that you can count on me to keep alive and enrich the long shared history of Monaco and Italy in the future.

Statement by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic

First of all, I would like to once again express my gratitude to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II for the warm and friendly welcome extended to me, my daughter, and the delegation accompanying me. 
I am delighted to have made this state visit nearly seventy years after the historic visit of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace to Rome. This was a visit I was eager to make, and I thank the Prince for inviting me to do so. 

Over these past two days, we have reaffirmed what we already knew, but we have felt even more deeply the strength of the bonds that unite the Principality of Monaco and Italy—and that unite our peoples, who are also linked, as Your Highness noted, by a long history of contact and closeness, not only geographical but also cultural and human. 
As you noted, this closeness is enriched by the presence of the Italian community here in Monaco; I have just met with a number of its members who live in Monaco, who welcomed me with great warmth and who actively contribute to life in the Principality. 
I would also like to thank Your Highness for yesterday’s evening: the concert at the Opéra Garnier was an extraordinary celebration of art within a jewel of a venue like the Opéra Garnier; Cecilia Bartoli, together with the orchestra and choir, was the star of the event, and it is—I repeat—a source of pride for Italy that she has been entrusted with the direction of the theater. 
I would also like to thank Prince Albert II for his dedication to strengthening cultural ties with so many Italian municipalities, including through membership in the Community of Italian-Speaking Countries and through the connections with the numerous sites linked to the Grimaldi family in Italy, which represent not only a historical bond but also one of friendship—a constellation of places symbolizing friendship between the Principality and Italy. 

I, too, would like to acknowledge—as the Prince did—the important work carried out by the Joint Commission, which addressed issues of common interest: social security, transportation, and investment. This cooperation is further enriched by its cross-border dimension.
And the Principality’s participation as an observer in the Cross-Border Cooperation Committee—established by the Treaty of Rome between France and Italy—is significant. 
I would also like to express my deep appreciation for the strengthened cooperation between our countries in the fight against economic and financial organized crime, marked by the signing last April of a memorandum of understanding with the Guardia di Finanza. This is another area in which we collaborate with great effectiveness and to great benefit. 
As you noted, Your Highness, economic ties are strong and growing, and there is significant integration between our economies. There is also collaborative integration among our businesses—a highly significant aspect that benefits from the climate of friendship that prevails between our countries. 

I would also like to emphasize an aspect that I consider particularly important—one that was highlighted by the presence of Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, and their children at the Winter Olympics and the Mediterranean Games—namely, the value that the Principality, like Italy, places on sports in terms of social impact, the education of young people, and healthy and fair international relations. This is a fundamental aspect, and the commitment of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène in this area is particularly significant. 

Yesterday, we also discussed some general issues with the Prince, noting—as the Prince mentioned yesterday—our shared conviction regarding the indispensability of multilateralism and its various forms, which must be safeguarded to ensure proper and positive relations in international life. 

We also discussed the numerous issues currently plaguing the international scene, noting a consistent and complete harmony and convergence, inspired by the values of peace, freedom, the equal dignity of every state, and the protection of the rule of law and human rights. 

I am pleased to conclude this visit, for which I am grateful—I repeat—to the Prince here at the Oceanographic Museum, which is a global landmark, not only because Monaco is home to the international institute dedicated to the sea, but also because it is a center of science that collects data and encourages us to explore what we actually still know very little about: the seafloor; and the Principality of Monaco’s commitment in this area is particularly valuable to the international community. Equally valuable is its commitment to environmental protection, which has seen—not only in the marine sphere but in its various facets—a great dedication on the part of Prince Albert I, who was a scientist who spurred the world toward understanding the ocean and protecting both the ocean and the environment. And it is no coincidence that just a short while ago this morning we also commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the Ramoge Agreement: between Saint-Raphaël, Monaco, and Genoa, an agreement was established that serves as an exemplary model for the protection of the sea—in this case, the Mediterranean—which, as the Prince and I stated yesterday by mutual agreement, we hope will once again become a sea of civilization and unity, rather than a sea plagued by crises and particularly severe humanitarian challenges. 

In conclusion, Your Highness, I would like to thank you once again for your hospitality over these past two days and for the meetings we have had. I am confident that the ties between our countries will be further strengthened, and I hope, of course, to see you again soon in Italy. Thank you, Your Highness.