DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed
bin Zayed Al Nahyan will head to Paris on Wednesday to meet with French
President Emmanuel Macron, state media in the UAE reported.
اضافة اعلان
Sheikh Mohammed would discuss with
Macron "the prospects of
consolidating strategic cooperation" between the two countries, the
official WAM news agency said on Tuesday.
The two men will address a number of issues, among them regional
developments which are likely to include Afghanistan.
Tensions have simmered in Afghanistan since the United States completed its withdrawal
last month, with sporadic street protests erupting in cities and armed
resistance to Taliban rule in the Panjshir valley.
France said on Monday it will contribute 100 million euros ($118 million)
for emergency humanitarian work in Afghanistan after the Taliban grabbed power.
The Taliban's takeover sparked a chaotic exit for the Americans and their
allies after 20 years in the country.
During the evacuation, France set up an air bridge at the UAE's Al-Dhafra
air base for people evacuated from Kabul.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed on Monday there were
"very few" French nationals still stranded in Afghanistan, saying
that they only numbered in the dozens.
Some 2,800 people were evacuated from Afghanistan by France, including 2,600
Afghans, he said.
The UAE has set up an air bridge to deliver tons of aid to Afghanistan after
the Taliban takeover, a Kabul airport operations manager told AFP on Saturday.
The wealthy UAE, a close US ally, is one of a number of Gulf states that
have been key staging posts for evacuation flights for foreigners and Afghans,
alongside Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
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