EU ambassador to Qatar Dr Cristian Tudor stressed that the EU-GCC Summit of heads of state of GCC countries and EU member countries, which will take place in Brussels Wednesday will be a milestone to give a further boost to the region-to-region partnership, given its the first-ever summit at the level of heads of state.

In press remarks to comment on the summit, he highlighted that the summit confirms the intention held by both blocs to elevate the growing partnership between the EU and the GCC to the strategic level. He also noted that a stronger partnership between the GCC and the EU will allow for addressing arising challenges together, in addition to providing an opportunity to work together on crucial themes of mutual interest and build a partnership based on sustainable prosperity and stability for both sides.

He pointed out that this summit represents the first time ever that the leaders of GCC states meet with the heads of state and government of 27 countries of the European Union, under the joint chairmanship of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and President of the European Council Charles Michel, with the participation of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and High Representative and Vice President (HR/VP) of the European Commission Josep Borrell.

The ambassador pointed out that the summit reflects the EU's commitment to co-operate with regional actors and call for diplomacy, dialogue, restraint, and preventing further military escalation in the region, expressing the EU's gratitude to its partners in the Gulf for their intensive efforts to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a ceasefire, and to promote the two-state solution.

He affirmed the interconnectedness of the security of the two regions, noting that this will require strategic co-ordination on key regional security files (de-escalation in the Middle East, a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, regional nuclear non-proliferation, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, violence in the Horn of Africa) is an important deliverable of the Summit. He also said that, as a regional organisation, the GCC is one of EU's key security partners. Likewise, the EU intends to become a security interlocutor for the GCC.

As a result, both sides will discuss enhanced co-operation on maritime security, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, and cyber and hybrid threats as well as response to disasters.

He said that there are a number of global challenges that the EU wants to address together or in close coordination with the GCC in multilateral forums, such as the fight against climate change, conflict resolution, sustainable development, finance, and humanitarian assistance.