VATICAN, 25th February, 2019 (WAM) -- His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has sent a message to His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, thanking him for the historic visit to the UAE from 3rd to 5th February, 2019, and his participation along with Dr. Ahmad el-Tayeb, Grand Imam Al Azhar Al Sharif, in the ''Human Fraternity Meeting''.

During the papal trip, the religious leaders signed the '' Declaration on Human Fraternity''.

The message, delivered to Pope Francis by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during an audience in the Vatican, dealt with ties between the UAE and the Vatican and ways to consolidate them for serving the interests of the two friendly peoples.

The Holy See and H.H. Sheikh Abdullah discussed methods of bolstering bilateral relations in a manner that promotes values of peace, tolerance and coexistence among peoples of the world.

They also touched on the current regional developments and exchanged views on a variety of regional and global issues of mutual concern.

Sheikh Abdullah affirmed that the landmark visit by Pope Francis and The Grand Imam of Al Azhar underscored the UAE's approach to establishing values of tolerance and world peace and its commitment to enhancing interfaith dialogue.

He said the UAE while celebrating the ''Year of Tolerance'' is committed to spreading the message of tolerance, goodness and intimacy and adopting initiatives that realise international peace, security and stability. He hailed the human and fraternal ties between Pope Francis and Dr. el-Tayeb as ''two great symbols of peace and tolerance'' across the world.

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