12 EU & GCC: to enhance and deepen their relationship On Monday 21 February 2022, the foreign ministers from EU member states, headed by the High Representative of the EU; Josep Borrell, and their counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, chaired by the Saudi Foreign Minister; Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, came together in a Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels. Here the GCC and the EU called for closer cooperation and underlined the importance of strengthening their relations. In a statement Borell said: “We are the first investor in the region and second trade partner, but politically we are not on the same level. Our relations have to be enhanced and I think this is the good moment to do so. This is going to be the first step for stronger and deeper relations.” During the Council, the EU and GCC ministers stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen the relations between both sides. In light of recent regional challenges, the ministers saw it necessary to create a strong and effective base for regional and international security and stability. In particular, they agreed on the importance of strengthening GCC-EU relations in a wide range of areas, including political dialogue, regional security, counterterrorism, trade and investment, energy, climate change, education, health, cybersecurity, and strengthening cooperation in international forums. Moreover, several humanitarian issues, such as the situation in Yemen, the ongoing war in Syria, and the crises in Afghanistan and Lebanon, were discussed. Finally, the ministers agreed to hold their next meeting in 2023 in the GCC region. Picture from left to right: Saudi Foreign Minister and GCC chair Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and High Representative of the EU Josep Borell.
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