President Sheikh Mohamed to visit France next week

UAE head of state will meet Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday

Sheikh Mohamed will visit Paris next week. Photo: Presidential Court

President Sheikh Mohamed will travel to France for a state visit next week.

He will meet Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday, July 18.

Sheikh Mohamed is "looking forward to meeting with the president of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris," state news agency Wam said.

"The visit is an opportunity to reinforce and expand the longstanding strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and France," Wam reported.

The two heads of state will address "several of the greatest challenges facing the world today, including future energy, climate change, and technology".

"In addition, the two nations will continue to strengthen ties across culture, education and space."

Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Macron will discuss the collective efforts of France and the UAE in regional stability and security.

The two leaders last met in May, when Mr Macron visited Abu Dhabi briefly to pay tribute to Sheikh Khalifa.

Sheikh Mohamed previously visited France in September 2021, while serving as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

During the tour he met Mr Macron in Paris for talks centred on the long-standing strategic ties between the nations.

After that trip, the UAE and France issued a joint statement in which Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Macron hailed the "strong and historic bilateral ties between the two countries since the founding of the UAE in 1971".

The statement underlined a "commitment to overcome regional challenges, and their shared determination to counter extremism, fight terrorism and strengthen their co-operation in the security and defence fields".