André Azoulay, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation, seals the collaboration of the Principality of Monaco to play host for the next three years to the international ceremony of the Mediterranean Journalist Award.

H.S.H Prince Albert II announces his participation in the forthcoming ceremony which will bring together the best journalists in the Union for the Mediterranean and include a special recognition for conflict reporting in the aftermath of Gaza.

Now perceived as a regional point of reference for journalism, the Award was launched in 2006 by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the International Federation for Journalists, and has been expanded this year through new collaborations with the Network of Mediterranean Audio-visual Operators (COPEAM), the UN Alliance of Civilisations and the European Commission.

Following a meeting with Mr Franck Biancheri, Head of the Monaco Government’s External Relations, President Azoulay said:

“For the Anna Lindh Foundation, this new collaboration with Monaco is particularly important in terms of raising region-wide recognition of the positive role played by journalists in promoting a shared space of reliable information and exchange across the Mediterranean region.”

For his part, Mr Franck Biancheri added:

“Our ambition is to create with the Anna Lindh Foundation and the Monaco Mediterranean Foundation a prestigious event for Union for the Mediterranean which brings together important actors of the region with leading journalists, reinforcing the role of Monaco as a bridge between people and cultures across the shores of the Mediterranean sea.”

The latest edition of the Mediterranean Journalist Award was officially launched in Istanbul in April, with this year’s competition open until 15th July 2009 to practising journalists based in one of the forty-three countries of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The 2009 international award ceremony will take place at the start of November in Monaco, and will include prizes for printed press, television, radio and online blogs, as well as the special recognition for conflict reporting.