The first joint summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the European Union (EU) concluded in Brussels on October 16, 2024, after two years of agreeing on a new EU strategy toward the GCC, aimed at establishing a new strategic partnership for peace and prosperity and demonstrating the extent of alignment and coordination between the two sides in facing numerous global challenges. This article aims to provide an objective analysis of the significance of this summit, described as historic, and the implications of its outcomes for the future of Gulf-European relations.
- The Significance of the Summit and Its Background:
The first Gulf-European summit gained its importance from two main factors:
The importance of the Gulf and European blocs:
The EU and GCC are currently among the most significant global blocs, given their vast capabilities and resources. Together, they represent a huge economic power, accounting for over 20% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), with the GCC’s GDP exceeding 2.4trillionandtheEU′saround2.4trillionandtheEU′saround18.3 trillion, according to the latest data. From a geostrategic perspective, the EU is an important and influential international power globally, considering its significant military capabilities and the technological and economic development level of its 27 member states, as well as its large population of over 450 million, making it the third-largest human bloc worldwide.
These capabilities enable the EU to play a leading role in addressing security, military, political, economic, and climate challenges facing Europe and the world. Conversely, GCC countries are gaining increasing international importance, not only due to their significant economic potential and their position as a main source of fossil fuel globally but also due to their growing political role on regional and international levels. They have become active players and reliable partners for all international powers in facing major global challenges and crises.
The context in which the summit was held:
The Gulf-European summit took place amid severe political unrest in the Middle East and Europe, including the ongoing war in Gaza, conflicts in Lebanon, rising tensions in the Red Sea due to confrontations with the Houthis, and the growing risk of conflict expansion following direct Israeli-Iranian confrontations, not to mention the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, among other crises that require coordinated and practical responses from both sides to meet shared challenges and enhance diplomatic efforts to protect security and stability at regional and international levels. The relationship between the GCC and the EU is particularly relevant for both parties.
In a region marked by conflicts that threaten not only the stability of the Middle East but also of Europe, the security, stability, and prosperity of the Gulf have direct ramifications for the EU, which has suffered significantly from the consequences of these conflicts, especially due to the waves of migration they have triggered. In recent years, the GCC has also emerged as a significant and effective mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war, which is a crucial issue for EU countries.
The UAE led mediation efforts between the two sides, announcing the success of nine mediation operations for the exchange of war prisoners, with a total of 2,184 prisoners exchanged as a result of these Emirati mediations, indicating the potential for reaching political solutions to this complex crisis.
Economically, relations between the GCC and the EU are witnessing rapid developments that serve both parties’ interests. The EU is the second-largest trading partner for the GCC after China, while the GCC is the ninth-largest trading partner for the EU. The trade exchange between the two sides reached €170 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, Gulf investments in EU countries amounted to approximately €306 billion in 2023, while European direct foreign investment in the Gulf increased to €442 billion in the current year, according to Olaf J. Giel, spokesperson for the European Commission on trade and agriculture.
European data also indicates that EU imports of fuel from the GCC accounted for over 75% of the EU’s total imports in 2023, tripling since 2020 due to a sharp shift in supply sources for the EU due to the war in Ukraine. For these reasons, the Gulf states and the EU will benefit from a stronger and more strategic partnership, building on the long-standing cooperative relationship between them, which dates back to the 1987 cooperation agreement that established a framework for regular dialogue on cooperation, particularly in economic relations. Furthermore, the foreign ministers of the GCC and the EU agreed during a joint meeting in Brussels in February 2022 on a joint cooperation program for the period from 2022 to 2027, updated in October 2023.
This program outlines joint activities in various sectors, including trade, investment, climate change, sustainable green transition, people-to-people initiatives, and combating terrorism. In May 2022, the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a joint statement titled “Strategic Partnership with the Gulf,” establishing a practical roadmap for the EU to develop closer relations with GCC countries. In the same month, Luigi Di Maio was appointed as the EU’s first special representative for the Gulf region to establish a stronger, more comprehensive, and strategic partnership between the EU and the Gulf states.
Despite the stalled negotiations for a free trade agreement between the GCC countries and the EU, which began in 1990, European countries have recognized this mistake in delaying mutual cooperation, which has cost both sides many opportunities. They have since revived discussions on a free trade agreement with the GCC in 2017, followed by the announcement of the strategic partnership in May 2022, which reshaped the foundations of Gulf-European relations to extend beyond merely developing economic relations to establishing deeper foundations for an equitable partnership in vital areas such as investment, climate change, international health, energy security, transition to renewable energy, support for development, humanitarian aid, peace, stability, and reducing conflicts in the Middle East.
Outcomes of the Summit and Their Implications:
The constructive discussions that took place during the first Gulf-European summit in Brussels, attended by 33 heads of state and government, as reflected in the final statement, demonstrated a clear political will between both sides to develop their cooperation and partnership. They also indicated broad agreement on regional and global developments, as follows:
Agreement on the importance of enhancing regional security and ending ongoing conflicts: Regarding the war in Gaza, the final statement called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735, including an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, as well as immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to the civilian population. Both sides expressed support for the mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States in this regard.
They welcomed the formation of the Global Coalition for implementing the two-state solution, announced by Saudi Arabia, the EU, and Norway on September 26, 2024, in New York. On the Lebanon conflict, the final statement called for an immediate ceasefire and intensified international and regional efforts to provide urgent humanitarian aid to Lebanon. They also urged restraint, de-escalation, and the prevention of conflict expansion to the wider region, emphasizing the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, the statement emphasized the need to reach a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter, demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from Ukrainian territory.
Strengthening security coordination and cooperation: The final statement of the Gulf-European summit highlighted the need to enhance security cooperation in addressing common crises and de-escalating tensions in both regions. It welcomed the launch of a regional security dialogue between the two sides in January 2024, as well as the progress made in developing common approaches to global and regional security challenges and deepening security cooperation, including counter-terrorism, cyber issues, maritime security, disaster preparedness, and emergency management, as well as peacebuilding efforts such as mediation and negotiation.
Expanding the strategic partnership: The final statement reaffirmed that the strategic partnership between the two parties aims to be the main driver in advancing their shared goals as close partners. It is based on a rules-based international system that fully respects international law, including the UN Charter and humanitarian law, while promoting and protecting universal human rights. The need to support multilateralism and the importance of sustainable development and prosperity were also emphasized. Both sides agreed to continue enhancing bilateral, regional, and multilateral frameworks aimed at developing their relations on all fronts and committed to maintaining regular dialogue through biennial summits, with the next summit set to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2026, and the 29th joint ministerial council meeting in Kuwait in 2025.
Increasing economic cooperation: The GCC and EU reaffirmed their commitment to developing a flourishing and balanced trade and investment relationship that benefits both sides through multilateral, regional, and bilateral frameworks to increase trade, investment, and economic cooperation. The final statement of the summit emphasized the importance of building more resilient and sustainable economies in response to disruptions in global supply chains and developing cooperation to secure energy supply chains, including clean technologies. In the field of investment and trade, both sides agreed to organize joint economic events, including the Gulf-European Business Forum scheduled to be held in Qatar in November 2024, as well as to enhance cooperation to support investment and trade in clean and low-emission technologies and their components, while working to diversify and secure global supply chains.
Overall, the positive developments in Gulf-European relations in recent years, along with the results of the final statement from the first historic summit between the two sides in Brussels, reflect the readiness and political will of both parties to develop their mutual relations and propel them towards broader horizons in the future, which will necessarily have a positive impact not only on both parties but also on regional and international issues as a whole.
