Under clear Mediterranean skies, the 12th edition of the Games of Small States of Europe got underway in Monte Carlo, Monaco, reports the online magazine MonacoRevue.com.

The games were declared open by Monaco's sovereign His Serene Highness Prince Albert II at a ceremony attended by dignitaries of the eight competing nations, including the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg, and high international sporting officials, among them President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge.

Some 1,200 athletes are representing Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, San Marino, and Monaco.

A cruise ship docked in the harbour serves as the athletes' village for the games in Monaco, the world's second smallest state, which is just 1.93 square kilometers.

Competitors will be vying for medals in 12 disciplines such as athletics, basket ball, beach volley, bowls, gymnastics, judo, swimming, tennis, table tennis, shooting, sailing, and volley ball.

After brief opening speeches and a vow by the athletes to keep the games drug-free, the spectators were treated to an avant-garde dance production directed by Jean-Christophe Maillot of the Monte Carlo Ballet. The spectacle, which presented a tableau of the world of sports being threatened by a multitude of problems, including pollution and climatic changes, involved the entire troupe of the ballet, with the assistance of 200 Monegasque grade school students.

The Games of the Small States of Europe were first held 1985 and take place every two years. All European states belonging to the International Olympic Movement and having a population of less than a million are eligible to participate.

The Monaco 2007 games run from June 04 to June 09.

Video footage of the opening ceremony is available at MonacoRevue.com.