Princess Charlene visited the Olympic Village in the capital of Georgia on Wednesday 7 October, with Mikheil Chkhenkeli, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.
During her visit, Princess Charlene donated a bus to the Tbilisi Rugby Club team and presented the keys to the team’s President, Gia Kublashvili. The young players of the Rugby School will be participating in the 10th edition of the Sainte Dévote Tournament in Monaco in 2021.
The Tbilisi Olympic Village hosted the 13th European Summer Youth Olympics in 2015, where over 3,500 athletes from 50 countries, including 5 Monegasque athletes, competed.
After meeting Paralympic fencing and volleyball athletes, Princess Charlene visited the Ai Ia Foundation, a rehabilitation centre for children with hearing loss.
Prince inaugurates road to New CHPG Hospital
A road and pedestrian walkway, created for the new Princess Grace Hospital, were inaugurated by HSH the Sovereign Prince on Wednesday 30 September. The new section of road, which is 200 m long, spans from the entrance of the new CHPG to the Tamaris. It will enable the hospital’s construction site to progress. Pedestrians can also use the newly paved Avenue Pasteur once again.
The Prince was accompanied by Pierre Dartout, Minister of State, Stéphane Valeri, President of the National Council, Georges Marsan, Mayor of Monaco and Benoîte de Sevelinges, Director of the CHPG for the road’s inauguration.
Monaco unveils Submergible Panels to promote Biodiversity
Prince Albert attended a special unveiling of 3D submergible panels, designed to increase marine biodiversity along the coast of Monaco, on Tuesday 6 October. The panels, which will be submerged to a depth of 35 metres off the coast of Fontvieille in October, were designed by the Department of the Environment and the SETEC engineering firm.
Drawing inspiration from the structures and shapes of natural rocks found along the coastline, the designers came up with a digital model which was used to produce 20 different panels. The panels were then 3D printed using fibre-reinforced concrete, which is inert in the marine environment and has a rough surface which should encourage stationary species to settle.
This technique could eventually be used to clad other artificial structures (the sides of sea walls, stabilisation blocks, etc.) that are already in place along the coast and improve biodiversity
Prince Albert’s first Official Visit to Serbia
Prince Albert II visited Belgrade during an official visit, at the invitation of Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia, on 7 and 8 October. The Sovereign Prince also met with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabić.
During an official ceremony, the President presented the Sovereign Prince with the decoration of the Order of the Republic of Serbia as a symbol of the development and strengthening of friendly relations between Serbia and the Principality of Monaco.
The Sovereign Prince also visited the National Museum in Belgrade, the oldest museum in Serbia, to discover the works of art on display and the history of Serbia.
On Thursday 8 October, the environmental component of this official visit occurred in Bački Monoštor, a Serbian village located near the Croatian border. HSH Prince Albert II and his delegation visited the Backo Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve, a site of over 176,000 hectares that has been part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since June 2017, as well as a beekeeping farm and a eco-house.
The Monaco Economic Board (MEB) participated in the trip to establish initial economic contacts for a future trip to Serbia by Monegasque entrepreneurs.
Prince Albert Supports Flood Victims in Southern France
Right after landing from His official trip to Serbia, HSH Prince Albert II flew from the Monaco Heliport to Roquebillière and Saint-Martin-Vésubie to thank local authorities and convey his emotion and support for local inhabitants after Storm Alex brought devastating floods to the region.
The Sovereign was accompanied by Pierre Dartout, Minister of State, Bernard Gonzalez, Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Stéphane Valeri, President of the National Council, and Tony Varo, Superior Police Commander.
The Sovereign Prince spoke with journalists and reaffirmed that Monaco would provide material and financial assistance to the Roya, Tinée and Vésubie valleys. Workers from the Monegasque Red Cross, the Princess Grace Hospital Centre and Monaco’s Firefighters are at the scene alongside other associations and volunteers from the Principality.
Storm Alex brought 450 mm of rain to the region in only 24 hours, the equivalent of nearly four months of rain for this time of year. The devastating floods swept away roads and homes, has killed two people and left at least twenty missing. The storm moved across south-eastern France before hitting northern Italy.
