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Arab and European officials and scholars noted that the Gulf-Europe strategic relationship has improved significantly, especially in the fields of security and energy, and bilateral coordination has been strengthened through continuous and in-depth political dialogue.
While Gulf and EU leaders want to take these ties to a higher level, officials and experts point to many challenges at the administrative level.
GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Negotiations Dr. Abdulaziz Alavasheg said GCC-EU relations are seeing positive developments, especially in the areas of security and energy.
Alavasheg was speaking during a videoconference held at the Center for Gulf Studies in Jeddah to discuss relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union a year after signing a strategic partnership agreement.
“We have agreed on 12 issues within the framework of this partnership … for the first time we see energy security being explicitly discussed between Europe and the Gulf countries,” he said.
The Gulf official added that the two sides agreed to “have a frank discussion on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons”, noting that the EU had become “more realistic”.
The Assistant Secretary-General of the GCC noted that “Gulf countries and the EU have a strong commitment to implement this partnership,” but noted that explaining it at the administrative level would be difficult.
Birgit Lowther, head of EU regional and African affairs, emphasized the EU’s keenness to develop a partnership with the GCC.
“We strongly believe in the importance of regional organizations because they help build the international system that we want to be stronger,” she said.
Dr. Haila Al-Makimi, professor of political science at Kuwait University, spoke about a series of important principles that must be included in a strategic partnership document, and the need to understand the general climate in the GCC and the EU, taking into account major regional developments, including the Saudi – Iran deal.
Sylvia Colombo, a researcher and consultant at the NATO Defense Academy, pointed out three structural problems between the two sides: one is prioritizing economic cooperation and trade liberalization at the expense of political issues and human rights; the other is the obstacles that exist between the two sides . Promoting bilateral relationships takes precedence over institutional relationships between two organizations.
“The third hurdle is working with government and official institutions, but at the expense of greater public engagement with other sectors of civil society, business, and youth and women stakeholders, which slows down progress towards more sustainable cooperation,” she said .
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