HE Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi emphasized that the partnership between the GCC countries and the European Union is historic and significant, and has witnessed, over the decades since its launch in 1988, major positive developments on various political, economic, security, and social levels.

In special remarks to Qatar News Agency , His Excellency indicated that the first GCC-EU summit, scheduled to be held this week in Brussels, Belgium, represents a historic milestone in bilateral relations between the two sides, as it comes amid regional and international challenges that call for strengthening joint cooperation, especially in light of the current situation in the Middle East.

His Excellency pointed out that this partnership is based on solid and comprehensive cooperation aimed at achieving the interests of both sides and enhancing regional and international stability. That partnership has economic and investment fields includin
g energy, academic education, in addition to a large number of other aspects that reflect the depth of relations between the two sides. He stressed that this partnership will be culminated by this first-of-its-kind summit, which represents a pivotal moment in the history of Gulf-European cooperation.

HE the GCC Secretary-General noted that this summit has two main tracks, the first is to strengthen Gulf-European relations and push them toward broader horizons of cooperation and development. The second track is to address regional and international challenges, mainly the situation in the Middle East, especially the military escalation in Gaza and the targeting of civilians in Lebanon.

HE Albudaiwi considered the summit an opportunity to achieve consensus and take decisions that enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation in a way that serves the interests of both sides. He emphasized that the GCC countries always seek to play an effective role in resolving regional issues, voicing his hope that this summi
t will contribute to reaching tangible results that contribute to ending crises, especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

His Excellency stressed that the only solution to this issue is the two-state solution, pointing to the need to intensify European efforts to pressure Israel to stop military operations and allow humanitarian aid provided by the GCC countries to reach Gaza.

Regarding the economic aspect, His Excellency pointed to the importance of Gulf investments in Europe, indicating that Gulf sovereign wealth funds have a large and influential presence in various EU countries. He expressed the GCC countries aspiration to attract more European companies to invest in the Gulf markets, especially with the policies adopted by the GCC countries to diversify sources of income.

HE Albudaiwi added that the GCC countries have taken serious and tangible steps toward signing free trade agreements with a number of countries worldwide, as they were recently signed with Pakistan and South Korea, while preparat
ions are underway to sign with the United Kingdom, China, and New Zealand in the coming period. He voiced his hope that the summit will represent an opportunity to discuss the possibility of reaching a free trade agreement between the GCC countries and the European Union.

In a related context, HE Albudaiwi emphasized the importance of cooperation in the fields of energy and trade, noting that the GCC countries seek to enhance this cooperation with the European side through mutual investments and joint projects.

His Excellency also addressed the issue of facilitating visas for GCC citizens, indicating that the European Union had developed a comprehensive strategy in 2022 aimed at waiving visas, and that the GCC countries hope to remove this obstacle and provide unconditional entry for GCC citizens to the Schengen Area.

Concluding his remarks to QNA, HE Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi praised the State of Qatars role during its current presidency of the 44th session of the GCC Supreme Council, commending the great e
fforts it has made in advancing the GCCs progress, organizing and facilitating meetings, and enhancing cooperation between the GCC countries and friendly countries.

His Excellency voiced his hope that the summit would yield tangible results that would contribute to strengthening the Gulf-European partnership and providing better services to the citizens of the GCC countries, in addition to resolving the crises facing the region, mainly the Palestinian issue.

Source: Qatar News Agency