Tripartite meeting on negotiations with European Union between Monaco, Andorra and San Marino

_{* Monegasque delegation: Gilles Tonelli, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Isabelle Costa, Deputy Secretary-General of the Government for the Europe Unit.}

_{San Marino delegation: H.E. Antonella Benedittini, Ambassador, Head of San Marino’s Representation to the EU, Luca Brandi, Director of the Department of European Affairs; Michele Andreini, Personal Secretary to Mr Renzi.}

_{Andorran delegation: H.E. Maria Ubach Font, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Enric Tarrado Vives, Ambassador of the Principality of Andorra to the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of San Marino and the Swiss Confederation, Cristina Mota, Director of European Affairs, Iago Andreu, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister.}

Following the meetings held in Monaco in March and in San Marino last May, Antoni Martí Petit, Prime Minister of the Principality of Andorra, received his counterparts Serge Telle, Minister of State, and Nicola Renzi, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Political Affairs and Justice of the Republic of San Marino, in Andorra on 20 and 21 November 2017.

These now regular meetings provide an opportunity to strengthen tripartite cooperation between the three nations, with whom the European Union opened negotiations in 2015 with a view to concluding an association agreement. Among other things, they aim to reach a better understanding of factors specific to each of these countries in order to identify complementarities and improve coordination in negotiations.

Serge Telle, Nicola Renzi and Antoni Martí Petit were also given a private audience with H.E. Joan Enric Vives, Bishop of Urgell and Co-Prince of Andorra.

After a meeting with their delegations,* the three heads of government held a press conference at the National Auditorium in Andorra, and were then interviewed by Andorran television (Andorra Difusió) for a programme dedicated to Europe.

During the press conference, Serge Telle said: “Europe wants Europeans, which is what we are.We are not going to abandon what we are. (...) We are different, but we also face problems in common (...) These meetings allow us to consider in detail what we must preserve, on the understanding that these association agreements will only be feasible if they include opt-outs. We are working on these opt-outs, and on how best to make them consistent and acceptable to the European Union, which is listening to us.”