It took around ten years, but the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council ended up holding their first official summit in Brussels on Wednesday October 16. The twenty European heads of state and government present, including French President Emmanuel Macron, and their six Gulf partners, had many heavy subjects to discuss, but not necessarily obvious common answers to provide.
That Brussels welcomed the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Ben Salman or the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Ben Hamad Al Thani was already an event in itself, and the mark of a real change of times. Six years ago, the Saudi leader was persona non grata in Europe for having ordered the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. As for the Qatari, he is associated with Qatargate, this corruption scandal which shook the European Parliament in 2022.
The war in Ukraine, then the conflagration in the Middle East, changed the situation, putting the Gulf States back at the center of the economic and geopolitical game. With their gas and oil reserves, they helped the Europeans to deprive themselves of Russian hydrocarbons. At the same time, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar began to play an increasingly important role as mediators in various conflicts.
For Europe, it was necessary to review its relationship with the region. In 2022, the European Union adopted a new strategy and implemented it thanks to its special envoy, Luigi di Maio. Criticized upon his appointment, the former Italian foreign minister from the 5 Star Movement (anti-system and eurosceptic party), made a strong impression both in Brussels and in the Gulf.
“Many differences of point of view”
“In this region, where interpersonal relationships count, he was able to gain the trust of his interlocutors”underlines Cinzia Bianco, researcher at the European Council on International Relations. Since then, diplomatic and security exchanges and meetings have increased. “This summit thus reflects the growing dynamic” between the two regions, underlines Josep Borrell, the head of European diplomacy.
With this summit, the two blocs want to increase cooperation in different sectors: trade, technology, energy, ecological transition. If the Gulf and Europe recorded 170 billion euros in trade in 2023, the Old Continent wants to go further and finally secure a free trade agreement that has been slipping for thirty-five years. “Such an agreement between the EU and the Gulf is very difficult, notes a senior European official, because on the Gulf side, the six countries do not necessarily get along with each other”.
You have 46.14% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
Related News :