Borrell: EU-GCC Summit confirms joint commitment to develop cooperation

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said the high-level meetings, due in Brussels tomorrow, Wednesday, reflect the "growing dynamics and the positive dynamics" between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the European Union. The meetings "show and confirm at the highest political level our joint commitment to develop cooperation and strategic partnership, he said, noting, "Our message is clear: we are ready to act more and more together in facing common challenges." Borrell stressed that the strategic partnership between the two blocs is not only about security but touches on a broader range of issues including trade, development assistance, green and digital transitions, on connectivity and people-to-people contacts. Borrell noted that the Ministers will focus on the situation in the Middle East, Iran and the Horn of Africa adding that the GCC countries are very active, are indeed "good brokers in international affairs and we value immensely our cooperati on on these dossiers." Borrell highlighted the importance of discussing the situation in the Middle East with GCC leaders stating that Gulf and EU countries share "the same interest to work together towards a real, lasting and just peace for the whole region." Commending the growing and positive dynamics between the Gulf Cooperation Countries and the European Union, he said, "We appointed European Union Special Representative [Luigi Di Maio] to push forward this Strategy. We had a EU-GCC Structured Security Dialogue in January in Riyadh." "We had a High Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in April in Luxembourg. We held the first joint training of diplomats - Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union - in our European Diplomatic Academy in Bruges. "Tomorrow we will have the first ever summit at the Leaders' level between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union", he said. Separately, the EU said that President von der Leyen and the High Representative Borrell will participate in the first ever summit between GCC and EU leaders. The meeting will be co-chaired by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Emir of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as the rotating President of the GCC. The Ministerial and Leaders' meetings will offer an occasion to discuss how the EU and GCC can further cooperate on common key global challenges; economic cooperation, including trade and investment; energy; sustainability and climate; connectivity; people-to-people contact. These high-level events are a confirmation of the shared commitment to develop EU-GCC cooperation and the Strategic Partnership between the two blocs. Source: Kuwait News Agency