Monaco takes part in 10th Union for the Mediterranean Regional Forum in Barcelona

Délégation MCO à l'UPM ©DR

On 28 November 2025, the Principality of Monaco took part in the 10^th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Forum alongside the organisation’s 43 member states. The Forum marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Barcelona Process. The Monegasque delegation comprised H.E. Ms Catherine Fautrier-Rousseau, Monaco’s Ambassador to Spain, and Ms Tatiana El Khoury, Third Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

This year’s Forum saw the launch of the Pact for the Mediterranean, an initiative supported by the European Union and a number of partner countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean. The intention is to provide the UfM with an updated roadmap for the coming years. The Pact focuses attention on three interlinked priorities: human development and social innovation, the building of more sustainable and integrated economies, and the strengthening of security, resilience and managed migration.

This refreshed framework seeks to bolster the role of the UfM as a cooperation platform based on dialogue, respect for international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, against a backdrop of tense geopolitical relations in the Mediterranean.

In his opening speech, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reiterated the strategic importance of the Mediterranean and the unique nature of the UfM, the only body which brings together Israel and Palestine on an equal footing, demonstrating the relevance of multilateral dialogue, particularly during periods of crisis.

Discussions naturally focused on the situation in the Middle East. Several States stressed the need to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure that civilians have safe, unimpeded access to aid.

The Monegasque delegation closely followed all of the Forum’s work, and also had the opportunity to engage in discussions about the issues raised with several regional partners on the margins of the event.