Dubai:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will begin a two-day state visit to the UAE on Monday with a view to boost bilateral ties and areas of mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Sarkozy is scheduled to hold talks with UAE President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
"the talks will centre on a number of important issues, including the future of bilateral relations, regional issues such as the Middle East peace process, the future of Afghanistan and Somalia and the Iranian nuclear dossier," Sarkozy's chief diplomatic adviser Jean-David Levitte was quoted as saying by UAE's official news agency Wam.
Relations between the two countries extend across four strategic sectors; defence, cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy, culture and education.