EU, Gulf countries call to avoid escalation in Middle East

The leaders of the European Union and six Gulf states, meeting at a summit in Brussels, united their voices on Wednesday to call for avoiding a general conflagration in the Middle East.

This summit of heads of state and government of the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar – was a first.

“We must do everything in our power and mobilize all our diplomatic skills to stop the extremely dangerous escalation” in the Middle East, declared the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the start of this meeting which she described as“historical”.

A second edition is already planned in Riyadh in 2026.

In a joint statement, the EU and the GCC called for ceasefires “immediate” in Gaza but also in Lebanon where Israel has been intensifying its strikes for a month against the strongholds of the pro-Iranian Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah.

“We need a resolution to these conflicts. We must find a solution to the Palestinian cause. We hope that this first summit will be the first step to consolidate our historical ties and intensify our relations at the political, economic and cultural level.declared the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, current president of the GCC.

For almost a year, Hezbollah fire has regularly targeted Israeli positions near the Lebanese border. The Shiite organization, supported by Iran, claims to act in response to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Hezbollah expressed its support for the Palestinian Islamists Hamas in the context of the Israeli military operation in Gaza, launched in reaction to the unprecedented attack carried out by this movement against Israel on October 7, 2023.

Traditionally allied with the West, the Gulf monarchies have recently moved closer to Iran after years of tensions with their neighbor.

They have repeatedly called for the creation of a Palestinian state, alongside Israel, with some playing a key role in negotiations to obtain a ceasefire in Gaza.

Joint statement on Ukraine

On Ukraine, despite divergent views, the EU and the six Gulf states managed to agree on a joint formulation.

They emphasized “the need to achieve, as soon as possible, a global, just and lasting peace” while reaffirming their “commitment to sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity (of the country) within its internationally recognized borders”.

Geopolitical crises “have caused immense human suffering, so we must act with more determination and change the course of history. The future of our two regions is totally interconnected”said the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

In addition to ongoing conflicts, the meeting, which was also attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, addressed the themes of trade, energy and climate change.

“We agreed to advance negotiations on a free trade agreement, and we should pursue all options to strengthen our economic cooperation and trade relations with all partners”welcomed the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, during a press conference after the summit.

The EU is the GCC countries’ second-largest trading partner, but talks on a free trade agreement, launched in the 1990s, never came to fruition.

In the background was also the question of human rights. The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the EU to put pressure on its guests for changes, notably on women’s rights, labor rights, freedom of expression and the imprisonment of opponents. policies.

The declaration adopted Wednesday evening mentions a « engagement » common “to ensure respect, protection and promotion of universal human rights”. The EU and the GCC assure that they will deepen the dialogue on these issues “which constitute a key element” of their cooperation.