Brussels, Belgium – Oman will participate in the first EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit set to take place in Brussels on Wednesday. The sultanate’s delegation will be led by H H Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Special Representative of His Majesty the Sultan.

The summit will bring together heads of state from both the EU and GCC. Discussions will focus on enhancing cooperation in various areas, including trade, investment, energy and climate change, as well as addressing geopolitical challenges such as the conflict in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East. It is the first time that leaders from both blocs will meet on one platform.

The summit comes amid heightened global tensions, with the Israeli army’s ongoing assault on Gaza, the conflict spreading to Lebanon and the Russian-Ukrainian war continuing for more than two years. These developments have made Gulf-European cooperation crucial for diplomacy, stability and potential solutions to these crises.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed al Budaiwi emphasised the historical partnership between the two blocs. “This summit is the culmination of a strategic relationship that began over three decades ago,” he said. He added that discussions would cover a wide range of topics, including the waiver of Schengen visa for Gulf citizens, which the EU recognises as key to expanding cooperation.

Europe is a major trading partner for the Gulf, with oil and gas exports playing a significant role in meeting Europe’s energy needs. In return, Gulf countries benefit from European technology and expertise in infrastructure, education and advanced industries. Trade between the two reached US$204.3bn in 2022, with Gulf exports to EU accounting for US$106.3bn and imports from Europe at US$98bn. Foreign direct investment between the EU and GCC has also grown in the last decade with the EU investing US$233.6bn in the GCC by 2022 and US$177.8bn the other way around.

H E Rawa bint Issa al Zadjali, Oman’s Ambassador to Belgium and Head of Mission to the EU, described the summit as a “milestone in the strategic partnership between the GCC and EU”.

The EU and GCC are also negotiating a free trade agreement, which could further boost cooperation. The summit is expected to advance talks on renewable energy, with particular focus on clean energy and green hydrogen, an area where Oman has signed agreements with several European countries.

Luigi Di Maio, EU Special Representative for the Gulf region, praised Oman for hosting EU-GCC Ministerial Council meetings last year paving the way for this summit.

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