French President hails UAE - France relations

Paris: French President, Francois Hollande, has praised UAE-French relations, describing them as "role models in all political, economic and cultural fields". He said this in his opening speech at the inauguration ceremony of the Birth of a Museum Exhibition, which features some of the permanent artistic collections of the Louvre Abu Dhabi on display at Louvre Paris. He went on to say that, "Louvre Abu Dhabi is one of the world's finest museums in preserving artistic and human memory, as it includes rare collections and antiquities. Abu Dhabi today hosts the world through rare artistic collections - it is a hub of world cultures and venue for civilisations' dialogues." President Hollande commended the support of the UAE to arts and culture, praising the museum collections which include about 400 rare artistic pieces, of which 150 are now being showcased to Louvre Paris visitors." He added that his country deems the Louvre Abu Dhabi as "the biggest contemporary cultural project and a symbol of strong partnership between the UAE and France." – Emirates News Agency, WAM