Bin Zayed, French President hold talks over latest regional and international events

His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today held talks with his host French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace over ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation. President Sarkozy and Sheikh Mohammed, who is in Paris in a brief visit to France, also took stock of the latest regional and international developments of mutual concern with an eye on the Middle East and the Palestinian bid to win international recognition of the independent statehood through its full-fledged membership at the UN and the UAE's support for that bid. They stressed the importance of realising a just peace and of advancing international peaceful efforts towards enforcing pillars of security and stability in the region. The talks, which were conducted in the attendance of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, and his French counterpart Alain Juppe and a retinue of top Emirati and French officials and diplomats, also covered the situation in Libya where the two sides expressed their satisfaction at the developments the Libyan scene had seen recently and expressed their support for the National Transitional Council's efforts towards achieving security, stability, peace, reconciliation and development to the Libyan people Sheikh Mohammed asserted that the UAE under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan would spare no effort to developing its distinguished relations with France and leveraging them to new heights of cooperation for the best interest of the two friendly peoples. Sheikh Mohammed said he was grateful to President Sarkozy for his significant support and care for efforts aimed at boosting these bonds in a way that serves mutual interest. For his part, the French head of state said he was glad to meet Sheikh Mohammed, affirming Paris' determination to expand relations with the UAE to a scale that reflects the depth of friendship and serves common interests of the two friendly countries and peoples. President Sarkozy expressed appreciation for the role President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is assuming to advancing joint cooperation. He also cited the UAE's contributions and its active movement at the political and humanitarian levels in response to disasters the peoples in the region are experiencing.