Nahyan bin Mubarak attends Europe Day reception

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, last night attended a reception hosted by Patrizio Fondi, Head of the European Union delegation to the UAE, on the occasion of Europe Day.

The ceremony, which was held at the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, was attended by Abdul Aziz Abdullah Al Zaabi, Second Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council, along with a number of officials and heads of Arab and foreign diplomatic missions accredited to the state.

In his speech on the occasion, Sheikh Nahyan said that the UAE is a land of peace and religious tolerance, where everyone lives in harmony and peaceful coexistence with each other despite different religions and beliefs, stressing that the state established a policy of tolerance, moderation and respect for others values.

Mr. Fondi said that the UAE is a valued strategic partner of the European Union, noting that trade volume between the two sides rose 15.3 percent in 2015 to around 60 billion Euros, which represents 11.5 percent of the foreign trade volume of the country.

He noted that the relations between EU countries and the UAE have witnessed great developments, especially after the introduction of an exemption for UAE nationals from the Schengen Visa, as Emirati citizens now can enter 34 European countries, including 26 affiliated with the European Union.

Source :WAM