It is a unique milestone in international cooperation

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has welcomed the signing of a historic cultural accord between the UAE and France to set up the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum.

The 30-year agreement was signed by Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Tourism Development and Investment Company and the French Minister for Culture and Communications Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, in the presence of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

"The agreement is an important step towards achieving Abu Dhabi's vision in placing itself as a cultural hub in the region and a bridge of communication between different global cultures and civilisations," Shaikh Khalifa said.

The setting up of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi will offer opportunities of learning and help increase cultural awareness, Shaikh Khalifa said.

"This initiative is a unique milestone in international cooperation and bilateral relations and a tribute to the long-standing and friendly ties our two nations have enjoyed. It also creates an enriching environment to be treasured and to educate generations to come," Shaikh Khalifa said.

Shaikh Mohammad praised the support given by both the UAE and French leaderships to establish the museum.

"In the long-term, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will become autonomous. It will be a national, regional and international asset allowing all to fully participate in an interconnected global cultural understanding," Shaikh Mohammad said.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi museum is expected to open its doors in 2012, as part of Saadiyat Island's Cultural District project. The agreement provides for long-term loans from the Louvre and other French museums.

In celebration of the collaboration, the Louvre will host a floor of commemorative galleries dedicated to Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Additionally, a multi-purpose art research centre in France will carry the Abu Dhabi name. Abu Dhabi will also contribute to the restoration of the theatre in the Chateau de Fontainebleau, the largest royal palace in France. The theatre will later be named after Shaikh Khalifa.

Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan told reporters the decision to create the Louvre Abu Dhabi will have ripple effects in the region.

"With the Saadiyat project, the target is to enlighten the people of the UAE; there is a clear-cut educational role to the Cultural District. The process will go further from here and cover the whole region."

With inputs from Khitam Al Amir