BRUSSELS, 15 (EUROPA PRESS)
The leaders of the European Union hold a summit this Wednesday with the partners of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in the first meeting at the highest level between the two blocs amid the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, where the EU and the Gulf They share concerns and seek to play a greater role in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel has extended its offensive.
The unprecedented meeting in Brussels will bring together the leaders of the 27 with those of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and comes at a critical moment in the Middle East due to the escalation of the conflict, so the meeting will be It is presented as an opportunity for the two regions to contribute to the peace negotiations, in which Qatar plays a fundamental mediation role alongside the United States.
Thus the issue of security and instability in the region and beyond Gaza, from Lebanon to the Red Sea, will be at the center of the debate and will be addressed in the joint declaration that the EU and the Gulf partners are negotiating, although sources European organizations recognize that it is not easy to reach a common position between two regional blocs.
Apart from the war in Gaza, the summit shows the growing interest of the EU in a region in which it has increased its diplomatic presence and aspires to have greater political contact, since it wants to cooperate with these countries beyond commercial and economic relations. oil sale.
In this sense, the European bloc wants to culminate a trajectory of recent years to elevate the relationship with this group of countries with which just a few years ago it did not maintain regular dialogue, nor hold meetings from region to region.
While the EU is interested in strengthening the trade and investment relationship, the Gulf countries emphasize achieving a visa-free policy that facilitates social exchanges.
“Geopolitics has played a very important role in that change. The Gulf region is at the crossroads between Asia, Europe and Africa. It plays a very important role in many of the current crises,” admits a senior EU official.
The region is also key for the application of EU trade sanctions against Russia and its growing economic and geopolitical weight increases Europe’s interest in forging strategic relations with this part of the world.
The day before this meeting, a meeting of foreign ministers from both blocs is held in Brussels. “We are ready to do more things together to face common challenges,” said the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, in statements before the dinner with the Arab ministers to which the Spanish Foreign Minister does not attend. , José Manuel Albares.
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