Hind Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to France, stressed the importance of the historic visit made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to France last Monday and Tuesday, which witnessed a standing ovation and the signing of several agreements in various fields.
In a lengthy interview with Al Ain News, Al Otaiba said that the visit came within the framework of opportunities for bilateral cooperation between the UAE and France to meet the biggest challenges facing the two countries and the world in various fields, foremost of which are climate, health, education, technology, energy, security and space.
In the dialogue in which she shed light on the outcomes of the visit, which was described as historic, Al-Otaiba indicated that the bilateral partnership between the two countries contributes to energy security while reducing efforts for a sustainable future.
And on Tuesday, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan concluded a historic visit to France, where he received an unparalleled celebration from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who was not satisfied with receiving him at the presidential residence at the Elysee Palace, but was also celebrated by 3 ancient palaces, which have significance in honoring adult guests.
That visit included meetings of the President of the UAE with Elizabeth Born, the French Prime Minister, Gerald Larcher, President of the Senate (the upper chamber of Parliament) and Yael Brun-Bevi, President of the French National Assembly (Parliament), in addition to his meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The visit witnessed the launch of the UAE-French Business Council, which aims to open new horizons and raise the level of bilateral cooperation in a number of sectors of common interest, in addition to the signing of 12 agreements and memoranda of understanding to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and develop their prospects in various fields, including an agreement on a strategic partnership. Comprehensive in the field of energy.
The agreements that expressed the distinguished relations between the two countries were one of the aspects of celebrating Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, but they were not the only ones. The welcome banners were considered one of the manifestations of France’s celebration of the country’s great guest, in addition to receiving him in 4 prestigious palaces: the Invalides, the Elysee, Versailles and the Luxembourg Palace.
And the text of the conversation:
* What do you think regarding the timing of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to France in light of the tense regional and global economic conditions due to the energy file?
Certainly, the timing was by no means a coincidence. What motivated Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to choose France for his first state visit, are the opportunities available for our bilateral cooperation.
The various agreements announced during the visit give us the capabilities to face the biggest challenges facing our world today, including climate change, energy and economic sustainability.
It will be possible to overcome these challenges thanks to joint efforts to develop competencies and technology, as well as through strategic partnership agreements such as the one between ADNOC and Total Energy. In light of the global energy crisis, and at the global level in general, the UAE is committed to supporting its partners as much as possible.
* To what extent will the visit of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to France give a greater boost to the relations between the two countries, especially with regard to the volume of trade exchange?
Relations between France and the United Arab Emirates are already diverse and developing.
The UAE is the third country to have a trade surplus with France (2.4 billion euros) following the United Kingdom and Singapore.
The UAE hosts most of the French companies in the Middle East and North Africa (600 companies employing 30,000 people), and the volume of trade exchange is growing annually.
Looking to the future, we still have great opportunities to move forward with further growth and development in new and innovative areas such as sustainable development, technology and health.
The visit witnessed the signing of 11 agreements covering topics of critical importance to our relationship and the world, including for example:
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Pasteur Medical Institute and the Abu Dhabi Center for Public Health, signed by Mattar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Center for Public Health and Professor Dr. Stuart Cole, President of the Pasteur Institute of Medicine.
And a memorandum of understanding between the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center and the National Center for Space Studies, on cooperation in the field of lunar exploration.
And the establishment of the UAE-French Business Council, which was launched by Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Patrick Boyani, Chairman and CEO of Total Energy.
In addition to expanding the strategic partnership between ADNOC and “Total Energy”, which aims to study new areas of cooperation, including the supply of diesel to France.
These new agreements give us the capabilities to jointly confront the greatest challenges of our time, from climate to health, education, technology, energy, security and space.
* What are the ways of cooperation between the two countries in the energy file, especially following the signing of the historic partnership between ADNOC and Total?
In fact, the visit specifically highlighted our commitment to global energy security, while respecting our commitments to a more sustainable future and in particular the UAE’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
This is a goal supported by our partnership with France and Total Energy, ahead of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) to be held in the UAE in 2023.
France is a long-term strategic partner of the UAE in the energy sector, and Total Energy is a major international partner of ADNOC and has been operating in the oil and gas sector in Abu Dhabi since 1939.
Together, we will pool the resources, knowledge and skills to create innovative and future projects at the forefront of the energy transition.
EDF has partnered with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) to build the world’s largest solar power plant, and ENGIE and Masdar have formed a US$5 billion strategic alliance to boost the green hydrogen economy.
The cooperation between France and the UAE will lead to new innovative projects that will facilitate a more sustainable future, and cooperation in the field of research and development of advanced technologies that drive innovation in the agro-industry sector and healthcare systems.
Create and increase investment in digital and personal institutions that serve as a marketplace to share ideas on how to develop digital knowledge across society, in addition to collaborative efforts between France and the UAE in clean renewable energy projects, such as hydrogen energy.
Our partnerships across the entire energy value chain enable our nation to join forces to contribute to energy security while reducing efforts for a sustainable future.
* Are there future areas of cooperation in the sectors of culture and education?
What our people share with the French people is their passion for arts and culture. Our two countries firmly believe in the importance of culture in society and are convinced that culture serves as a necessary tool to inspire and inform current and future generations while preserving heritage at the same time.
Our future cooperation in the field of culture aims to address several priorities. Building on the partnership that already exists between the two countries, France and the United Arab Emirates are exploring new and innovative ways on how to facilitate access to culture for those deprived of it.
Both France and the UAE firmly believe in the importance of preserving culture and heritage not only to better understand the paths of our ancestors but also to counter the emergence of threats in our time, including extremism.
We firmly believe that creating platforms and opportunities for open and peaceful interaction across culture, heritage, religion and society will contribute to supporting a lasting path towards global peaceful coexistence, one of our examples in the UAE is the Abrahamic House, which is scheduled to be launched later this year.
The UAE also has a long-standing commitment to educational exchange, and we see a unique opportunity to enhance knowledge exchange to build trust and understanding between the peoples of the two regions.
France and the UAE will move forward to work on reintroducing the teaching of the French language in Emirati public schools, and developing it in private schools, as well as enhancing teacher training.
Both countries understand the absolute importance of receiving a high-quality education in order to bring up well-rounded individuals to be the future leaders of tomorrow.
During the visit, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Catherine Colonna, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, signed a joint declaration on cooperation between the UAE and France in the field of higher education, the details of which will be revealed in due course.
* With regard to the missions of the UAE diplomatic mission in France, what are the most prominent activities that you undertake to introduce the values that characterize the country, its capabilities and the opportunities available to it, whether to the French public opinion or to various parties, especially the media? Are there future programs in this regard?
The UAE is characterized by openness, tolerance and understanding of the culture of the other. I place these values at the heart of my mission as Ambassador to France.
Therefore, I consider it necessary to hold meetings and discussions on major topics of common interest such as culture, security and economic cooperation.
And we do this not only in Paris, but all over the country as I travel to meet various actors who reflect the diversity of France.
At the UAE Embassy in Paris, we launched a series of events under the name Majlon, a compound word that combines the Emirati word “Majlis” and the traditional Parisian circles of communication known as “Salons”.
The events aim to strengthen French-Emirati relations by combining French and Emirati excellence.
During the first editions of these events, we gathered experts and actors in the fields of innovation, energy, religious coexistence and the arts, which contributed to reviewing the competencies of our country and strengthening the existing avenues of cooperation between our two countries.
Besides, we are also working with the media here in France to better inform regarding the UAE’s priorities and ambitions in future sectors such as technology, education and renewable energy.
