Paris: Culture plays a key role in the friendly relations between the UAE and France, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Shaikh Mohammad made the remarks while touring the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Centre at the Louvre Museum in Paris on Wednesday. The centre highlights the achievements of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

“This Centre embodies the values advocated by the late Shaikh Zayed, including values of tolerance, cooperation and peaceful coexistence among peoples, irrespective of culture, religion, race, and geographical locations. The visitors get to know about his rich legacy and his inspiring endeavours to champion values of humanity, peace, stability and development for all peoples of the world,” he added.

Shaikh Mohammad described the Louvre Museum as a ‘global cultural icon’ that safeguards human heritage across different eras of history and promotes arts and creativity.

“The Louvre is a living example of France’s position as the epicentre of enlightenment, not only to Europe, but to the whole world,” he said.

Shaikh Mohammad noted that the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which was inaugurated in 2017, is a culmination of the profoundly strong relations between the UAE and France, especially in the cultural domains. He continued by saying that the Museum represents an example of cooperation in celebrating the common heritage of humanity and turning it into a symbol of peace in a volatile world.

“In today’s world, we need the common heritage of humanity to unite peoples and nations in the face of global challenges,” he stated.

Upon his arrival at the Museum, Shaikh Mohammad was received by Jean-Luc Martinez, Louvre President, and a number of officials. He was briefed on the different sections of the museum.

Shaikh Mohammad stopped at the portrait of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. A minute of silence was observed.

Shaikh Mohammad also toured the Louvre of the Middle-Age. He stopped at the Saint-Louis-du-Louvre and also at the Shaikh Zayed Centre, which tells the history of the Louvre and interprets the collections held at the museum to millions of visitors every year, strengthening collaboration between the UAE and France, particularly in the cultural field.

Shaikh Mohammad was accompanied during his tour by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, EAA; Mohammad Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Mohammad Mubarak Al Mazroeui, Under-secretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Lt. General Essa Saif Bin Abalan Al Mazrouei, Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces.