GCC-EU Summit kicks off in Brussels, closer partnership high on agenda

The first-of-its-kind summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) will begin in Brussels on Wednesday, with closer cooperation being high on the agenda. Representing His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah will attend the gathering. President of the European Council (EC) Charles Michel, and Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will co-chair the event. The GCC-EU Summit is an opportunity for both major blocs to further promote and bolster their partnership amid the tough geopolitical circumstances. The conferees will mainly look into ways of cementing bilateral cooperation between both sides on how to address key global challenges, along with economic cooperation, chiefly in trade, investment, energy, sustainability, climate and communications. The EU said in a press release that EU-GCC relations are based on the 1989 cooperation agreement, which outlines regular dial ogue about bilateral cooperation regarding economic ties, climate change, energy, environment and research. In February of 2022, the foreign ministers of the GCC and the EU agreed on the joint cooperation program of 2022-27 recently updated back in October 2023. The program set GCC-EU mutual activities within the domains of trade, investment, climate cooperation, green and sustainable energy transition as well as counterterrorism efforts. The European Commission and the European High Representative of Foreign Affairs issued in May of 2022 a joint statement titled "Strategic Partnership with the GCC", which defined the roadmap for the EU to boost cooperation with the Gulf countries. The EU is the GCC's second largest commercial partner with trade exchange hitting around EUR 170 billion (USD 185 billion). Source: Kuwait News Agency