The EU aims to advance strategic cooperation with the Gulf states on climate change, global access to vaccines and supporting the “green economy,” the bloc’s foreign policy chief has told Arab News.
Josep Borrell, the 27-member European bloc’s high representative for foreign affairs, arrived in Riyadh on Saturday evening for talks that will include visits to the UAE and Qatar.
Started visit to Saudi Arabia with meeting @GCCSG Nayef Al Hajraf to make the engagement between EU & #GCC more strategic & work together on stability in the region,climate or trade.Our partnership stretches over 3 decades and builds on mutual trust & shared interests. pic.twitter.com/oNxPNtLS3r
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) October 3, 2021
“The Gulf Cooperation Council is one of our oldest partners. After more than 30 years of EU-GCC partnership, we should use the current momentum to give our cooperation a more strategic orientation,” Borrell said.
“My meetings in Riyadh will be an essential part of my visit. Saudi Arabia is an important actor on the global and multilateral stage, and I trust that its robust commitments at the upcoming COP26 will inspire other energy producers.
“We will discuss how best to support Saudi Arabia’s domestic transformation and economic diversification, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030 and with the involvement of European companies.”
There’s a ‘mutual wish to further intensify #EU-#Saudi cooperation,’ EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell @JosepBorrellF tells @arabnews @NoorNugali @eu_eeas @EUinArabic @KSAmofaEN https://t.co/6bUMTXs5pR
— EU in the GCC (@EUintheGCC) October 3, 2021
Borrell said would be signing a cooperation arrangement with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan ”that reflects our mutual wish to further intensify our cooperation, and will be a useful instrument to do so.”
He will also convene a joint cooperation council at ministerial level early next year, during the Saudi presidency of the GCC.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
