The first Gulf-European summit kicks off in Brussels

The first Gulf-European summit bringing together the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union opened in Brussels on Wednesday.

According to European diplomats, the leaders of the Gulf states and their EU counterparts will discuss ways to avoid a “comprehensive war” in the Middle East.

The leaders of the six Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar) will also discuss ways to avoid a “comprehensive war” in the Middle East. They will also discuss trade, energy and climate change issues with EU leaders.

However, the “main topic” of the meeting, according to EU officials, is the Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the risk of the war spreading to the region.

Wednesday’s summit will be attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, and will be co-chaired by European Council President Charles Michel and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the current head of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

“We share the same concerns regarding peace and security across the region,” Borrell said ahead of a dinner with Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers on Tuesday evening.

The 27-member EU aims to boost economic ties with the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The EU is the GCC’s second-largest trading partner, but talks to conclude a free trade agreement that began in the 1990s are still stalled.