(News report by Nawab Khan) BRUSSELS, May 19 (KUNA) -- Political, diplomatic, economic circles in Brussels and an EU-GCC expert have warmly welcomed the adoption by the European Commission of a joint working paper on a "strategic partnership with the Gulf" published on Wednesday.
The 17-page document contains a set of proposals, ideas and initiatives to deepen and strengthen the partnership between the 27-member European bloc and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell told journalists in Brussels after the document was released yesterday that the EU’s new Gulf strategy aims "to share prosperity, the Green transition, security, development and cooperation with such an important set of countries." "Important today for global security, energy, but also security, because they are involved with us in the situation created by the lack of agreement with Iranians in the Gulf, on the nuclear side, on the war in Yemen and so many other issues in which we want to work together with the states of the Gulf," he said.
On her part, Hannah Neumann, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation to the Arabian Peninsula, released a statement saying "a closer cooperation between the EU and the Arab Gulf countries, in particular the Gulf Cooperation Council bears, great potential, especially in the field of tackling climate change and promoting renewable energy." "I appreciate that the European Commission now takes steps to put our relations with the region on a new footing and I hope that the Council will follow its ambitious approach," said the German MEP.
Deepening these relations will help foster multilateralism and regional integration, she stressed and noted that "the Gulf countries are amongst the most advanced in terms of renewable energy technologies." "Further, they have the financial resources to expand quickly in this area and they are predestined for producing energy out of sun. A cooperation with the Gulf countries in this aspect is a win-win solution," said Neumann.
"EU and the GCC can join hands in research, production and trade of renewable energies. This diversifies energy supply in Europe, provides Gulf countries with an opportunity to further diversify their energy economy, reducing the exploration of fossil fuels," she stated.
"Moving from the current patchwork of bilateral deals towards a structured EU-GCC cooperation is key. The proposal of the European Commission is a first step in this direction," she stressed.
Dr. Christian Koch, Director of Research at the Gulf Research Centre in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) commended the EU Commission on its proposal for a strategic partnership with the Gulf.
The document provides a broad useful framework for advancing EU policy in the Gulf region in particular with the GCC states. There is finally a recognition by the EU that "the security and stability situation of the Gulf region bears direct consequences for the EU," he said.
The well-known expert and analyst on EU-Gulf issues noted that "the European Union stands much to gain from a stronger and more strategic partnership" with the GCC and its member states.
In addition to the traditional areas of promoting trade and investment as well as energy security, the document places emphasis on issues such as global health, the green transition, he explained.
It is important to quickly follow up many of the proposed ideas with concrete implementation strategies that show results even by the end of this year, said Koch.
An important point is that this communication is not the result of the Ukraine crisis but a growing recognition by the EU that a deeper and more coordinated approach to the GCC countries was needed. Many of the discussion and recommendations were discussed prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is therefore necessary not to link the two items, he clarified.
Qaisar Hijazin, Secretary General of Arab-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (ABLCC), said he strongly supports and commends this positive development towards a real partnership between the GCC and the European Union.
"We have always emphasized in all our activities that the GCC countries are a trustworthy and reliable partner who is looking forward to a true partnership with the European Union," he told KUNA.
The recent steps taken by the European Union to exempt a number of GCC countries from Schengen entry visas are going in the right direction, and would contribute significantly to increasing the volume of trade exchanges and investments between the two parties, he said.
Hijazin said: it is well-known that the GCC is one of the most important partners with the European Union. On the other hand, the fields of cooperation should be expanded to include the health, cultural and social fields, and the exchange of experiences between universities and students."The Arab-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce has always made efforts to strengthen relations based on mutual benefit to reach a true partnership between the two parties, he stressed.
In this regard, the Arab-Belgian Chamber of Commerce will organize next week a seminar in which the guest of honor will be Kuwaiti Ambassador in Brussels Jassem Al-Badawi, with the participation of representatives from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign trade institutions and businessmen, on the promising opportunities and areas of investment in Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, he announced.
Meanwhile, the EU’ Strategy paper says that "the EU also values GCC and its Member Statesآ’ important role in international mediation. Recent examples include the role played by Qatar with regard to Afghanistan and Chad, the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and UAE in the Horn of Africa, Kuwait on Lebanon and Oman in Yemen." "The EU is ready to propose closer cooperation and the sharing of methodologies, experience and best practices on conflict prevention andآ mediation, at both bilateral and regional levesl," it says.
"Gulf countries are substantial donors of humanitarian aid. The EU will step up its engagement with the Gulf countries on funding, efficiency, quality aid and overall support for the international humanitarian system, as an integrated part of the EU-Gulf political dialogue. In this context, specific attention will be paid to countries facing protracted crises," it emphasizes.
"Gulf countries have also a specific role to play in terms of promoting and applying International Humanitarian Law in the region and beyond, given their geographical and/or cultural proximity and influence on some of the most acute crises," underlines the working paper. (end) nk.mt