President of UAE, Sheikh Mohamed, reached Paris on Monday, July 18, during his two-day state visit to strengthen the already strong relations between the UAE and France.
Sheikh Mohamed chose France as the first place for his state visit since being elected as the President of the UAE marks a particular symbolic weight.
Sheikh Mohamed described France as a close strategic partner of the UAE yesterday while adding that our nations enjoy longstanding partnerships in many fields. We look forward to furthering alliances as well as strengthening ties towards a prosperous future.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, was the first western leader who visited the UAE to offer his sincere condolences for the demise of former President Sheikh Khalifa.
Earlier, Sheikh Mohamed visited France in September 2021 and got a warm welcome during the official ceremony in Paris on Monday.
It was indeed a fitting gesture considering that both the countries share mutual respect as well as a depth of understanding that has been enhanced over the decades.
Presently, the annual exports of France to the Emirates are worth Dh12.5 billion, while Paris imports around Dh3.7bn worth of oil from the UAE every year.
Both the nations are also invested in a 10-year bilateral strategic partnership roadmap that was signed in 2020.
For several years, France and the UAE have signified such values as peaceful co-existence and tolerance. They have continuously coordinated on various geopolitical affairs and vigorously sought friendly political solutions to conflicts, whether in Yemen, Libya or Ukraine.
Moreover, the Middle East’s stability is of supreme significance to both nations. They have also shown concerns regarding the start-stop nature of the Iran nuclear talks.
With every passing decade, bilateral ties have grown more profound. The number of sectors the two nations have co-operated on is extensive, be it gas and oil, fintech, trade, as well as investment, space or clean energy and cyber security.