France and Monaco sign general security agreement

Accord franco-monégasque sécurité - De gauche à droite, au 1er plan : Louis Gautier, Secrétaire Général de la Défense et de la Sécurité nationale et S.E. M. Serge Telle, Ministre d'Etat de la Principauté de Monaco. De gauche à droite au second plan : Didier Gamerdinger, Conseiller – Ministre des Affaires Sociales et de la Santé, Patrice Cellario, Conseiller – Ministre de l'Intérieur et Claude Cottalorda, Ambassadeur de Monaco en France. ©Direction de la Communication / Charly Gallo

De gauche à droite, au 1er plan : Louis Gautier, Secrétaire Général de la Défense et de la Sécurité nationale et S.E. M. Serge Telle, Ministre d'Etat de la Principauté de Monaco. De gauche à droite au second plan : Didier Gamerdinger, Conseiller – Ministre des Affaires Sociales et de la Santé, Patrice Cellario, Conseiller – Ministre de l'Intérieur et Claude Cottalorda, Ambassadeur de Monaco en France. ©Direction de la Communication / Charly Gallo

The relationship between the Principality of Monaco and the Government of the French Republic is a historically long-standing one, formalised in the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 17 July 1918. This treaty confirmed the two nations’ desire to establish “mutual trust”, which has been maintained ever since. This trust continues to develop today, with new intergovernmental agreements being proposed.

Thus, on 13 July 2017 and in the presence of H.E. Mr Serge Telle, Minister of State, and Mr Louis Gautier, Secretary-General for Defence and National Security, the two nations agreed to sign a general security agreement on the sharing and reciprocal protection of classified information.

The agreement was made possible by a new Monegasque law on maintaining national security adopted on 6 July 2016, which established the concept of a “national security secret”, something that had not previously existed. The law sets out the rules for creating and retaining classified information in the Principality of Monaco, and for sharing such information with foreign partners.

Negotiators on both sides reached agreement on a text which provides mutual recognition for levels of classification and sets out the procedures for sharing classified information, guaranteeing appropriate protection under criminal law.

This agreement, concluded between very close partners, will strengthen cooperation in sensitive areas, particularly in the fight against terrorism and in the field of information security.

France thus becomes the Principality of Monaco’s first partner to sign such an agreement on general security issues.