Bahrain attends GCC-EU meeting

Brussels, July 18 (BNA): The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, took part in the 25th session of the Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) in Brussels. The meeting reviewed Gulf-European relations and the means of bolstering them in line with the existing strategic cooperation between the two sides as well as the latest regional developments, including the situations in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, as well as the Middle East peace process, Iran and terrorism. The ministers stressed in a communiqué issued following the meeting the importance of continued efforts to bolster relations between them in view of regional challenges, to serve as a strong and effective approach in regards to regional and international stability and security. They welcomed bolstering political dialogue, particularly through periodic meetings between senior officials from the GCC and the EU, noting in particular the latest of these meetings held in Brussels on April 14. The ministers affirmed the strategic importance of close coordination between the GCC and the EU on developments in the region, and welcomed in particular the resumption of consultations between the Yemeni parties in the State of Kuwait on July 16, 2016, and reaffirmed their support for the Special Envoy of the United Nations to Yemen to facilitate a comprehensive settlement between the Yemeni parties to restore peace and the resumption of the transition process in Yemen, in line with the GCC initiative. This is in addition to the results of the national dialogue and the UN Security Council resolution 2216 and other relevant resolutions. They expressed their determination to continue with existing efforts to combat terrorism and its financing and to defeat Daesh and other terrorist organizations. The ministers reviewed the progress made in the strategic relationship between the two regions, approving the minutes of the joint cooperation committee meeting held in the General-Secretariat on April 6. They expressed their willingness to work together to address common political, social, economic and security challenges, as well as the challenges of stability, and to support strategies economic diversification, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s national transformation plan and similar plans in the GCC countries, expressing satisfaction with the bilateral trade, which accounted for more than 155.5 billion Euros in 2015, an increase of 55 per cent since 2010. The ministers welcomed the initiatives of cooperation that have been taken since the last ministerial meetings, especially by the GCC-EU dialogue on economy, in addition to air transport, a team of energy experts, exchanges on rail transport as well as cooperation in the field of economic diversification. They also welcomed the results of the visit of the Joint Gulf Parliamentary Committee to the European Parliament on April 28, 2016, which they said reflected the keenness of both sides to strengthen the bonds of relationships and understanding at the parliamentary level. The ministers also welcomed the holding of the Gulf-European Businessmen Forum in Brussels from May 23 to 24, 2016, in view of the significance of this event to promote the development of economic and trade ties and investment opportunities between the GCC countries and the European Union. They expressed their keenness to expand the existing relations between the GCC and the EU by increasing communication between their people, and promote cooperation in social, economic, educational, cultural, scientific and human rights fields. The ministers agreed to hold the next meeting in 2017 in Bahrain.