It took about 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 his six Gulf partners, had many difficult issues 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 true change of times. Six years ago, the Saudi leader was persona non grata in Europe for ordering the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. As for the Qatari, he is associated with Qatargate, that corruption scandal that shook the European Parliament in 2022.
The war in Ukraine and then the conflagration in the Middle East changed the situation, once again placing the Gulf States at the center of the economic and geopolitical game. With their gas and oil reserves, they helped Europeans 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 for his appointment, the former Italian Foreign Minister of the 5 Star Movement (an anti-establishment and eurosceptic party) made a strong impression both in Brussels and in the Gulf.
“Many differences in point of view”
“In this region, where interpersonal relationships count, he knew how 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, emphasizes Josep Borrell, 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 registered 170 billion euros in trade exchanges in 2023, the Old Continent wants to go further and finally secure a free trade agreement that has been falling for thirty-five years. “An agreement of this type between the EU and the Gulf is very difficult, says a senior European official, because on the Gulf side the six countries do not necessarily get along with each other.”.
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