Prince Albert of Monaco visits Canada where he is received by Prime Minister

Prince Albert of Monaco was received by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic relations between Canada and Monaco.

The two heads of state met for their first formal meeting on Monday 7^th May, in Parliament House in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa where they discussed climate change and the commitments made under the Paris Agreement as well as the preservation of the oceans and the conservation of marine life.

The mutual concern for the environment has a long history of bringing the two countries closer together.

Climate change has had adverse effects on the North and South Poles and Canada’s geographical position makes it one of the first territories to be impacted. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has been addressing these issues since its establishment in 2006.

The visit continued with a luncheon hosted by Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, where issues of common interest to both parties were discussed, with a particular focus on ocean conservation and marine pollution.

Later, Prince Albert attended an exhibition in the Canadian Museum of History entitled “To perish in the ice: The mystery of the Franklin Expedition.” The Sovereign was received by George J. Furey and Geoff Regan, respectively Speaker of the Senate and Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons.

As the evening drew to a close, the Monégasque delegation took part in a dinner hosted by Governor General Julie Payette to celebrate the tens years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Prince also travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia, home to the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI) at Dalhousie University to meet with Dalhousie PresidDr Dr. Richard Florizone and Vice President Dr Alice Aiken. Here he visited the Steel Ocean Science Building for a session on the Institute and its role in ocean research.

The Prince and Minister LeBlanc also participated in an open debate on the theme “An Ocean of Opportunity” followed by a Q&A session with Dalhousie students.