Fontainebleau (France) (AFP)

President Emmanuel Macron received on Wednesday the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyane (MBZ), de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates and major strategic partner of Paris in the region.

MBZ arrived at the Chateau de Fontainebleau, east of Paris, for a lunch with the French President at around 11:45 GMT.

Everyone praised the importance of their cooperation at the end of the meeting.

"The two leaders welcomed the strong and long-standing bilateral relationship that unites their countries (...), as well as their strategic partnership, which allows them to cooperate in all fields in order to jointly solve common international and regional problems. and to study new means of strengthening peace and prosperity ", according to a joint statement issued by the Elysee Palace.

"Both sides underlined their strong resolve to overcome regional challenges and both sides are determined to combat extremism and terrorism and strengthen their cooperation in security and defense," he said. they continued.

France uses, for example, a military air base made available to it by the Emirates on its territory, which is used by the Air Force for its operations in the Levant, and which served during the airlift set up. to evacuate foreigners and Afghans from Kabul after the Taliban took power in August.

The Emirates are also customers of the French military industry, for example owning Leclerc battle tanks.

In the cultural field, France and the Emirates created the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and in Fontainebleau itself, where the meeting takes place, Abu Dhabi financed the restoration of the imperial theater, the construction of which had been ordered by Napoleon III, now also named "Cheikh Khalifa ben Zayed Al-Nahyane Theater", named after the President of the Emirates.

President Emmanuel Macron (l) and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed ben Zayed Al-Nahyane visit the Imperial Theater at Fontainebleau Castle on September 15, 2021 Ian LANGSDON POOL / AFP

The two leaders also find themselves in their complicated, even tense, relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

MBZ is also very close to another key man in the region, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman, nicknamed him MBS.

© 2021 AFP