First GCC-EU summit agrees to lead on economics, energy and geopolitics

The first ever Gulf Cooperation Council-EU summit was held on Wednesday amid great geopolitical turmoil and high expectations of the two important blocs. These new poles of geostrategic influence have gained special significance in light of the US’ political paralysis, Russia’s war preoccupations and China’s reluctance to play a more active role in addressing growing crises around the globe.

Heads of state and government of the 27 EU member states and six GCC countries spent long hours in Brussels going over political, security and economic issues. They pored over recommendations developed by their ministers, senior officials and experts during months of preparation.

The gathering took place two years after the two blocs announced the establishment of a “strategic dialogue.” The relationship, which goes back four decades, has had its fair share of ups and downs, of raised expectations and dashed hopes. But in Brussels this week the leaders pledged to “elevate it to the next level” and to “work together to promote global and regional security and prosperity, including preventing the emergence and escalation of conflicts and resolving crises.” A tall order indeed.

Faced with acute energy insecurity, the EU countries sought out the world’s most important source of energy. They rediscovered their geostrategic sweet spot in closer security and energy cooperation, while coordinating their differentiated views on political issues and climate change.

But energy is not everything. The EU now recognizes that the GCC plays a “fundamental role in dispute mediation and resolution to preserve peace and security regionally and across the globe,” as the post-summit communique stressed. The leaders want their strategic partnership to be “the motor in promoting our common objectives,” including support for multilateralism, international law and international humanitarian law, as well as sustainable development and prosperity. All of these objectives have come under considerable strain during the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon. It is no secret that the EU is divided on how to achieve these goals; for example, a few of its members are providing support for the mayhem perpetrated in the region by Israel and, while most EU members are seeking a full-fledged, long-term relationship with the Gulf, some are quite transactional. This division is also reflected in the EU leadership and bureaucracy.

The summit pledged to reach a free trade agreement with a focus on investment, something that has long been elusive

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Despite these divisions, the Brussels summit delivered on important and timely issues, as touched upon in the summit’s 12-page communique.

On trade, the summit pledged to reach a free trade agreement with a focus on investment, something that has long been elusive. Obviously, conventional and new energies are important here, but they are tapered with equal emphasis on mitigating climate change, where the two groups do not always see eye to eye.

They agreed to revive the GCC-EU Energy Experts Group to enhance cooperation on energy security, efficiency and transition. There was also agreement to cooperate multilaterally within the World Trade Organization, where the two sides have also diverged at times.

Creating sustainable and diversified economies is an important goal for both, but especially the GCC, generating numerous joint activities on investment in renewable and transitional energies and prospects for joint energy connectivity. Digital and physical connectivity is a major — and relatively new but long overdue — area of potential growth. The proximity of the two regions and the fact that the GCC region connects Europe, Africa and Asia makes it obvious to cooperate in all forms of transport, logistics and telecommunications. They expressed readiness to engage on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the EU’s Global Gateway framework. The trick is obviously to encourage cooperation while managing competition, which has been an issue at times.

The GCC-EU security dialogue only started last year but it has made considerable progress. The summit agreed to deepen “security cooperation, including on counterterrorism, maritime security, cyber issues, nonproliferation and disaster preparedness and emergency management.” The two blocs recently agreed on detailed frameworks for each of these five security areas. The next step will be their actual implementation. In Brussels, they agreed to explore cooperation on peacebuilding efforts such as mediation and negotiation and combating organized crime, drugs, human trafficking and smuggling.

Maritime security is currently the most important area of cooperation, although it still lacks a specifically GCC-EU framework, which the two blocs are seeking to establish. About a dozen EU members, plus all six GCC members, are members of the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces. Separately, both the GCC and EU have their own platforms. The GCC Maritime Operations Coordination Center, also based in Bahrain, coordinates the work of GCC security forces, while the EU has Operation Agenor in the Gulf, Operation Atalanta off the Somali Coast and the new Operation Aspides in the Red Sea. The aim of these outfits is safeguarding freedom of navigation and maritime security, which are “fundamental for global trade and the free movement of essential commodities,” according to the summit’s statement.

The trick is obviously to encourage cooperation while managing competition, which has been an issue at times

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

The summit committed to enhancing the “already rich and vigorous” people-to-people contacts. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together on “practical and constructive steps” toward a “visa-free travel arrangement between the EU/Schengen and the GCC countries,” a goal long desired by the people of the 33 countries. When it happens, it could transform the GCC-EU partnership in fundamental ways. The leaders wanted these closer people-to-people ties to remain at the “heart of the EU-GCC partnership.” They called for deeper engagement of GCC academia and students in the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs, encouraging “more administrative and financial support instruments” to enhance these ambitious goals, as well as “institutional cooperation” in the fields of youth, sport, education and interregional creative cultural exchanges.

Reflecting the value they saw in this high-level engagement, the leaders agreed to continue to meet in this format every two years. The next summit will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2026.

It is quite common in such gatherings to get carried away with euphoric exuberance and lofty promises. Not this time. Hard-nosed negotiations preceding the summit were anchored in realistic foundations. Member states made sure that the summit did not promise more than can be delivered in the near future.

In his opening remarks, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman added a nudge, saying that he expected to see real progress by the time the next summit convenes in Riyadh. To make this happen, the two sides need to scale up the currently meager funds and manpower allocated to this ambitious partnership.

• Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the Gulf Cooperation Council assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent the GCC. X: @abuhamad1