The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, met with European Union Special Representative for the Gulf Region, Luigi Di Maio, in New York to review final preparations for the upcoming GCC-EU Ministerial Meeting scheduled for October in Kuwait. The talks were held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Discussions focused on finalizing the agenda for the ministerial session and reinforcing ongoing cooperation between the GCC and the European Union across political, economic, and security sectors. The meeting also included an exchange of views on key regional and international developments.
Al-Budaiwi underscored the importance of strengthening strategic ties between the two blocs, citing current geopolitical challenges and the need for coordination on multilateral efforts. Di Maio reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to its partnership with the GCC, emphasizing the mutual interest in deepening cooperation ahead of the Kuwait meeting. The Secretary-General also addressed escalating tensions in the region, condemning Israeli military actions against the State of Qatar. He stated that the aggression has contributed to instability and called for an immediate ceasefire, as well as international efforts to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The upcoming ministerial session in Kuwait is set to bring together foreign ministers from GCC and EU member states. It follows a series of preparatory meetings held in Brussels and New York, aimed at aligning priorities and establishing common frameworks for collaboration. The last Joint Cooperation Committee meeting between the GCC and EU took place earlier this year in Brussels, where officials reviewed progress in bilateral relations and coordinated on logistics for the ministerial gathering. GCC foreign ministers also convened in New York ahead of the United Nations high-level week to consolidate positions on core regional issues.
GCC–EU agenda includes energy, trade, and crisis response
The coordination meeting took place at Kuwait’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and included participation from all six GCC member states. Topics covered included regional stability, humanitarian concerns, and global security cooperation. The GCC-EU partnership is governed by a 1988 Cooperation Agreement that provides the foundation for dialogue across political, economic, energy, and security sectors. In recent years, both sides have intensified efforts to modernize the framework and expand engagement through institutional mechanisms and structured dialogues. The October session in Kuwait is expected to serve as a platform for reviewing existing cooperation agreements and evaluating progress in joint programs. Areas of focus include trade and investment, energy transition, supply chain resilience, counterterrorism, and cyber security.
Both parties have also engaged in technical-level consultations on regulatory alignment and market access in anticipation of deeper economic integration. Senior officials from the European External Action Service and the GCC General Secretariat have been involved in the preparatory process, including coordination on logistical arrangements and agenda finalization. The meeting in Kuwait will mark the latest high-level engagement since the last GCC-EU Ministerial Meeting in Oman, which concluded with a joint declaration covering regional stability, energy cooperation, and sustainable development. The Gulf Cooperation Council, headquartered in Riyadh, includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The EU’s engagement with the GCC forms part of its broader strategy for strengthening ties with regional organizations in the Middle East and North Africa. – By Content Syndication Services.