Abu Dhabi: A shared ambition nurtured by France and the UAE since the formation of the UAE in 1971, as part of their strong partnership, is more relevant than ever, according to a top French diplomat.
“With his French counterparts, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan played a decisive role in this shared ambition. Decades later, this vision is more relevant than ever,” Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE, told Gulf News.
Since the election of Emmanuel Macron as the French President and the visit to Paris of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on June 21, 2017, the UAE has been reaffirmed as France’s first strategic partner in the region, the envoy said.
President Macron’s visit to the UAE, on November 8 and 9, 2017, on the occasion of the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi — his first official visit in the Arab world — offered the opportunity to build a very close and trustful relationship with the UAE authorities, both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the diplomat said.
“This has given a very powerful impulsion to bilateral cooperation in each and every field and has opened the door to ten ministerial visits and to many other official delegations,” Pouille said.
Despite a challenging regional environment, France and the UAE have been able to launch exceptional projects dedicated to the dialogue between different cultures with Louvre Abu Dhabi being the best example, he said.
The French-Emirati Cultural Dialogue launched in February 2018 by French Prime minister Edouard Philippe and Noora Mohammad Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, is another milestone.
Bilateral partnership in protection of environment, close consultations on regional and international issues, coordinated efforts in the wake of crises in the region, especially in Libya, shared interest in stabilisation of Egypt and Africa at large, common priority to combat terrorism and stop its funding make the partnership stronger, the envoy said.
