Honoured to share R-Day celebrations with Indian people: Abu Dhabi's crown prince
The 68th Republic Day parade was led by a 149-member marching contingent with a band comprising 35 musicians from UAE.
New Delhi: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chief Guest of the Republic Day, on Thursday said he was honoured to share the celebrations with the Indian people who had sent a "civilized message" to the rest of the world by celebrating diversity in unity.
Al Nahyan, who witnessed the main parade marching down the majestic Rajpath in New Delhi along with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a galaxy of dignitaries, hailed the Indian values and diversity in a series of tweets.
The 68th Republic Day parade was led by a 149-member marching contingent with a band comprising 35 musicians from UAE, marking a significant gesture towards the visiting dignitary.
"I am very delighted and honored to share Republic Day celebrations with the Indian people," said a tweet on MBZNews, the official Twitter account of Al Nahyan.
"UAE's participation in Republic Day celebrations reflects the depth of our ties which are based on mutual respect & common interests," he added.
The tweets, both in Arabic and English, said Mohamed bin Zayed attended India's Republic Day celebrations "amid a warm official and popular reception" and "conveys Sheikh Khalifa and UAE's people greetings to the Indian people and government on the occasion of Republic Day."
He added, "Republic Day is an example of how positivevalues propel nations into greatness. This is something that we in the UAE takes at heart."
Hailing the host country's diversity, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi said, "India sends a civilized message to the rest of the world as its people from diverse ethnicities, religions and sects celebrate in unity."
He noted that the day "marks a turning point in Indian history: a political system that celebrates diversity within unified national fabric was formed."