Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General His Excellency Jasem Al Budaiwi affirmed on Wednesday that the "Third GCC-EU Regional Security Forum" is of paramount importance in light of the unprecedented escalation witnessed in the region.
Al Budaiwi made the remarks in a speech delivered during his participation in the forum, held in the Belgian capital Brussels, in the presence of Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain and President of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, and Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission.
Al Budaiwi said that Iran continues to choose escalation over diplomacy and dialogue, noting that GCC states support the path of dialogue and diplomacy and look forward to exploring ways for sincere consultation and close coordination with the European side to address Iran's dangerous behaviour in the region.
He added that the time has come for the strategic Gulf-European partnership to embark on a new course built on the foundation laid in 1988, particularly in light of the challenges posed by developments over recent months.
He noted that Iranian attacks on oil facilities in GCC states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused global economic repercussions, pointing out that the regional crisis has transformed into a global crisis. He stressed that these threats require a reinvigoration of GCC-EU relations that would enable both sides to respond jointly rather than acting unilaterally.
He outlined 6 proposed priorities for strengthening Gulf-European relations, encompassing political and diplomatic coordination, enhanced cooperation in regional security, accelerating work on trade corridors and alternative routes, energy cooperation, drawing lessons from the current crisis, and promoting people-to-people connectivity by accelerating visa-free mobility.
Al Budaiwi stressed that the partnership with Europe should extend beyond security cooperation to achieve genuine integration that makes the peoples of both sides more secure and their economies more resilient and stable.