Monaco establishes diplomatic ties with Bhutan
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The Principality has formally established diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Bhutan, linking two states with closely aligned environmental and development priorities.
Monaco and Bhutan have established full diplomatic relations, the government announced on 10 June 2026. The move connects two small states that have each built significant international reputations on environmental commitment and quality-of-life governance.
Bhutan, a landlocked Himalayan kingdom, is the only country in the world to maintain a net-negative carbon footprint. Its national development model is built around Gross National Happiness, a framework that places human well-being and nature conservation above economic growth metrics. The Principality has long championed similar principles, from Prince Albert II's environmental foundation to Monaco's active role in international climate and ocean policy.
For Monaco, the new relationship extends a diplomatic network that has increasingly focused on partners who share its sustainability agenda. Bhutan's exceptional biodiversity and its constitutional requirement to maintain at least 60 per cent forest cover make it a natural counterpart to a principality that has staked much of its global identity on environmental leadership.