Emmanuel Macron expected in Monaco this Saturday for a state visit with an ocean theme

A micro-state, pomp and a "community of destinies" : Emmanuel Macron begins a two-day state visit to Monaco on Saturday , the first by a French president in 41 years, ahead of the United Nations conference on the ocean in Nice .

The French President and his wife Brigitte will be welcomed at 4:45 p.m. (2:45 p.m. GMT) by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in the main courtyard of the Prince's Palace, perched on the Rock of the small Mediterranean principality.

Emmanuel Macron and Albert II will then have a private meeting, followed by a state dinner. On Sunday, they will visit a thalassothermal spa, which produces thermal energy from the sea, as well as the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, before having lunch with their wives. "This visit, which illustrates the strong and historic bonds of friendship between the two countries, will be the first state visit by a French president to Monaco since that of François Mitterrand in (January) 1984," the Élysée Palace emphasizes.

Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, and François Hollande also made presidential visits there in 1997, 2008, and 2013, but at a less formal level. Emmanuel Macron visited privately in January for the head of government's funeral.

The principality, one of the smallest sovereign states on the planet after the Vatican, is famous for its princely family, its casino, its splendor, its Formula 1 Grand Prix and its tax haven.

The Grimaldis, who have reigned supreme for seven centuries, have regularly been in the news since the marriage of Prince Rainier to American actress Grace Kelly in 1956 and that of his son Albert to South African swimming champion Charlene Wittstock in 2011.

A tiny enclave of two ^square kilometers on the Côte d'Azur, between Nice and Menton, Monaco maintains close ties - banking, tax, customs - with France, governed by a series of conventions.

With 9,900 nationals—out of a population of 38,000—the principality lacks the resources to manage its microstate alone. France therefore ensures the security of its territory and permanently detaches magistrates, teachers, and senior civil servants.

The position of Minister of State, or head of government, traditionally goes to a person seconded by France. State Councilor Philippe Mettoux was appointed to the post on Wednesday, replacing Didier Guillaume, the former Minister of Agriculture, who died in December.

An agreement strengthening bilateral customs cooperation will be signed on Sunday during the visit. This is a complex issue, particularly for cash flows, given the absence of visible borders between Monaco and France.

The two governments will also intensify cooperation on "data sharing and traffic violations" committed by Monegasques in France, the Élysée Palace stated. Ocean protection, a long-standing concern of Princes Rainier and Albert, will also be a central focus of the visit.

Just before the opening of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) on Monday in Nice, Emmanuel Macron and the prince will close a forum on the blue economy and finance in Monaco.

Part of the UN program, this meeting aims to bring together entrepreneurs engaged in sustainable ocean-related activities and major financial players, with the idea that in this particular field, the interests of the planet can coincide with those of investors.

Aware of the principality's commitment to ocean conservation, Emmanuel Macron was keen to involve it in UNOC3. "The choice of Nice was made for Monaco, in a discussion between Prince Albert and the President of the Republic," explained Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, French ambassador for the poles and maritime issues.