His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, commended the Louvre Abu Dhabi as a significant cultural milestone in the course of distinct ties between the UAE and the French Republic.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said both the UAE and France appreciate and celebrate the human common cultural heritage and had been working together to promote its role in realising people-to-people rapprochement and understanding.

''The UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, pays special attention to culture in its development vision and foreign relations. Consequently, the UAE has become a prominent cultural hub in the region, setting an example for fostering inter-cultural dialogue and openness. The UAE is today home to many world academic and cultural institutions,'' the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince said in a statement on the occasion of the grand opening of the iconic museum in the UAE capital today.

''The Louvre Abu Dhabi's important significance and meaning go beyond the UAE-France's ties to serve as a cultural bridge between cultures and peoples,'' HH said. ''Our message to the world through the opening of this world cultural landmark is that: culture remains a channel of communication, acquaintance and dialogue between peoples and civilisations. It is not - in any way - a source of conflict and dispute as extremists and hardliners imagined.'' ''The grand opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi delivers a positive message from here ..... from the United Arab Emirates to the whole world that: we are able of making hope for the peoples of this region despite its suffering from wars and disputes as well as from bloodshed and depletion of resources over the years,'' HH emphasised.

''The opening day marks an important milestone in the history of our relations and the human history at large and a symbol of the deep Emirati-French ties which also links human civilisations through a universal work and signifies the role of culture in promoting peace, co-operation and co-existence in the world,'' Sheikh Mohammed noted.

The launch of this human, cultural and pioneering project, HH added, constitutes a melting point for peace-loving nations and a human upscale stopping place whose objectives meet and interact with the world human thought so as to build bridges through which we cross into the future where generations of all humanity enjoy tranquility, happiness, security and progress.

He further added: 'We will pursue our quest to promote and embed ideal values and present the UAE as a global role model using the language of dialogue, tolerance and peaceful co-existence to communicate and interact with other cultures.'' ''The UAE was founded on deeply embedded benevolent convictions and values and will continue adhering to them in its effort to spread them globally as a lifestyle.'' Concluding his statement, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi said: 'We aspire for peace-loving communities ....we want tolerant generations who live in harmony ..... we want values ??of intimacy, love and harmony ... we are looking forward for a better life for all the humanity based on affection and respect.''