Mohammed bin Rashid receives French President

Dubai, Jan 16, 2013 (WAM) - Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has praised the current visit by French President, Francois Hollande, to the UAE as ''important and historic'' and would further strengthen bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation. Sheikh Mohammed made his remarks during talks yesterday at Zabeel Palace with the visiting French President, during which they exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments in light of political transformations in some countries in the region. The talks also tackled the world economic and financial situation and how to employ good bonds existed between the UAE and France to build constructive strategic partnerships that realise aspirations of leaderships and peoples of the two friendly countries. For his part, the French president expressed his country's sincere desire to set up a joint fund for investment projects in energy and tourism. ''Our relations are outstanding and excellent but we are looking forward for a future that holds a lot of ambitions that could be materialised to serve mutual interests of our two countries and peoples,'' President Hollande said. ''We have a lot to do more than we have done so far in terms of developing our relations at all spheres,'' he added. - Emirates News Agency, WAM