Sheikh Maktoum leads UAE delegation to the inaugural GCC-EU Summit in Brussels

GCC and EU leaders pose for a group photo during GCC-European Union Summit in Brussels on Wednesday. WAM

Sheikh Maktoum reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to exploring new avenues for growing the GCC-European partnership, under the visionary leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai. He said expanding cooperation across political, economic, cultural, and social areas will benefit the peoples of both regions and create new pathways for progress.

Sheikh Maktoum welcomed initiatives to boost trade, tourism, and cultural exchange with the European Union. He also praised the EU’s key role in addressing regional and global challenges, stressing the need for joint efforts to ensure security, stability, and peace in the Middle East while tackling humanitarian concerns.

During the summit, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union expressed the hope that the event will usher in a new era of cooperation between the two sides, delivering practical results and addressing mutual challenges.

The summit featured an opening speech by Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar and President of the 44th session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and addresses by Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

Sheikh Maktoum was accompanied at the summit by an official delegation that included Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State; Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs; and  Mohamed Al Sahlawi, UAE Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

The UAE is a key strategic partner of the EU in the Middle East, working together to foster sustainable development and enhance regional stability. The two sides share strong ties in trade, investment, tourism, scientific research, artificial intelligence, technology, sustainability, green transformation, and renewable energy. In 2023, the EU became the second-largest trading partner of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with total trade reaching €170 billion.

Apart from trade and economic cooperation, the partnership encompasses cultural and scientific collaboration, and initiatives to promote gender balance and enhance women’s participation across diverse sectors.

WAM

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Publish date : 2024-10-16 12:00:00

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